


Two Moons (Part 1)

by baeksesoolove (silentlylo)



Series: Two Moons [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Mob, Attempted Murder, Death, Depression, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Guns, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Murder, Panic Attacks, Parenthood, Sex, Suicide Attempt, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-17 22:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 80,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14839946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentlylo/pseuds/baeksesoolove
Summary: Chanyeol and Jongdae are the sons of two powerful families. After an assassination attempt on their fathers' lives, both of them find themselves having to take on duties they weren't prepared for and never wanted.





	1. (Waning Gibbous)

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU with a slight urban fantasy undertone. I created my own mob world with its own sets of rules and decorum. As far as I know there is no such thing as high families or The Academy in South Korea or anywhere else in the world. Or is there... ;)
> 
> In the story, Chanyeol's son's name is Taemin. This is not supposed to be a child-version of Lee Taemin. The name just fits really well for the story, so Park Taemin is an original child character.
> 
> Only the people listed above are meant to be based on those people. Everyone else in the story is an original character not based on any celebrity.
> 
> This story is very dark and has a lot of trigger warnings. Please check the warnings and tags before deciding if you should read it or not. I may have missed some, so if dark stories aren't for you, please don't read.
> 
> This is a complete work. Parts 2 and 3 are complete and will be posted soon.

When Chanyeol was six, he announced to his dad that he wanted to be a school teacher. An earnest way of living, he wanted to spend his day in classrooms, helping his students piece together bold colors of construction paper to hang about the room. Projects with scissors and glue were his favorite, while those that required pencil and paper interested him less.

A soft grunt focused him back on his present situation, and he looked down at the three-year-old, pointing a finger to the sparkly tube on his side of the tiny red plastic table he sat at.

“Glitter,” Chanyeol said with a warm smile, as he handed his son the tube. His son sat comfortably on his matching red plastic chair, while Chanyeol had folded his long legs across each other to sit on the floor.

His son attempted the word, then lost interest as he threw glitter on the glue that had formed a mess of a maze on the blue construction paper.

Chanyeol loved these moments when his son reminded him of himself, or at least the part of himself that he treasured most but had to hide away under his current circumstances. 

He wanted his life to return to how it used to be, when he and his son lived alone together in a modest apartment, watching cartoons, and playing hide and seek, Chanyeol capturing every first important moment of his son’s terrible twos on camera, knowing that it was all going by too fast.

Another grunt and this time his son pointed to a ball of green yarn.

“Yarn,” Chanyeol told him. “What’s with all the grunting? You sound like a mean dog,” he teased him, messing up his son’s straight, black hair, only to have it fall back into perfect place -- a trait from his mother, as Chanyeol’s own straight, black hair seemed to enjoy being unruly.

“Wuff wuff,” his son said with a laugh.

“Woof woof,” Chanyeol said and handed him the yarn. “Do you want to cut a piece?”

The answer appeared to be “no” as his son took the ball and rubbed it over the construction paper, covering the yarn in a mess of glue and glitter.

Chanyeol hid his smile behind his hand and watched the tiny version of himself enjoy his new amusement.

A series of three successive knocks interrupted the only time he considered to be precious in his day. He glanced at his watch just as the door opened and resigned himself to its reading.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the nanny said as she stepped inside the playroom. “I’m afraid it’s bath time for the little one, and you…”

“Have a meeting,” Chanyeol finished for her, leaning over to give his son a hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “Be good for Anya.”

“No,” his son said and laughed when Chanyeol gave him another kiss.

If there was one thing that Chanyeol was going to make sure of for his son, it was that he never had to grow up to be put in the position that Chanyeol now found himself in. He was going to break the dark cycle that his family had created, whether his father liked it or not. But for now, he had duties to fulfill.

***

The office of Chanyeol’s father had mahogany furniture with black accents that made the space feel smaller and a bit constricted. At least it felt suffocating to Chanyeol. He supposed his father liked the intimate setting, perhaps to make those who visited him feel more uneasy, as if the walls of the room would surround them if they said the wrong thing. The curtains over the large windows were intended to be sheer, but the layers were too thick causing the light that had passed through to appear muted, as if upset it required so much work to enter the room.

“The Kim family is sending a representative,” his father’s young advisor, Junmyeon, told him as soon as he sat in his seat. Junmyeon’s father had originally been the advisor, but after he had been killed in an alley by a rival family, Junmyeon had offered to take on his father’s duties, eager to show his loyalty to the Park family that had provided so much for them, even before their time of need.

“What do you mean a representative?” Chanyeol asked as he sat back against the chair and looked at the man, only slightly older than him in years. Unlike Chanyeol, who had barely made it through college but insisted on staying in order to keep away from his family, Junmyeon had attended highly acclaimed universities around the world, studying philosophy, business and law, before returning home to follow in his father’s footsteps. Though entirely different types of people, Chanyeol did find comfort in Junmyeon’s presence.

“The head of the family thought it best to send his son in his place,” Junmyeon explained.

“Well that was a mistake on his part,” Chanyeol stated, taking the moment to look at his phone to see what messages he had missed.

Three weeks ago, when he had to leave his simple life behind to take over the family business for his father, he hadn’t offered any explanation to his neighbors or friends he had made at college or at work. They had texted him for days after, wondering if he was alright and where he was, and he had told each of them that he had to move home for a family emergency. He never texted any of them back again after he gave them the explanation. Now all his messages came from members of the family and their allies. His life had once again become the insular oppressive reality he had tried to escape from years ago.

The door opened as the security guard allowed the Kim family representative, the elder Kim’s only son, Jongdae, to enter along with another man that Chanyeol did not recognize.

Chanyeol did not get up from his seat as Jongdae walked to the desk and bowed, his shadow doing the same as he stood a bit behind him.

“The Kim family offers its respects to the Park family during this difficult time,” Jongdae said, his eyes looking firmly into Chanyeol’s.

“It’s been three weeks,” Chanyeol stated, dismissive of the action, and more so of the words.

“Our family has had difficult matters of our own to attend to. We intended to pay our respects earlier, but we assure you that we remain strong allies of the Park family. And we are committed to helping you find the person responsible for your father’s condition.”

“I’d believe you if your family had shown more respect, both then and now,” Chanyeol said, his eyes suspicious and unforgiving as he looked at Jongdae. “While my father is recovering, I’m the head of the family, and yet the head of your family sends his son in his place.”

Jongdae took a deep breath and cleared his throat.

“Chanyeol,” he said, attempting the tone of familiarity. “Can we talk candidly? We used to be friends, remember?”

They used to be friends back when Jongdae’s father was part of the Park family and one of Chanyeol’s father’s closest friends. Chanyeol and Jongdae had grown up together, often playing and dreaming of being teachers and doctors. While Chanyeol wanted to teach children how to best play while accidentally learning, Jongdae had wanted to take care of people and find ways to keep people from dying. Neither of them had wanted to follow in their father’s footsteps.

“That is twice you have disrespected me today in the short amount of time you’ve been in my presence,” Chanyeol stated.

“I apologize,” Jongdae said with a small bow. “I also apologize that my father was not able to greet the new head of the Park family at this time, but I assure you that our family’s next visit will be from him. Like I stated, we’re attending to our own difficult matters. My visit today is to pay respects, but also to share information we have gathered that may help you find the person responsible for your father’s failed assassination attempt.”

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes, then glanced at Junmyeon who stood staring at Jongdae with his full attention.

“What information is this?” Chanyeol asked.

“Shortly after the attempt on your father’s life, we experienced an attempt on my father’s life. We lost one of our best security guards that day, but we gained an important piece of information. We wanted to share this information with you in hopes that together we could find the assassin and have him pay for what he has done.”

“If you think it’s him, then why doesn’t your family just take him out? It’s not like the Kim family has ever had issues granting death sentences to those who may or may not be guilty.”

“That’s not a fair assessment of our family,” Jongdae said, “And need I remind you that your family has also shown little discretion in who it decides to punish?”

“As the head of this family, I exercise much discretion,” Chanyeol said, his eyes narrowing a bit to make his point clear.

“For how long? Do you think your members are going to continue to follow your lead if you don’t carry on your father’s dealings?”

“No,” Chanyeol said, with a level gaze, “I imagine they’ll stab me in the back the way your father did to mine when he left to start his own rival family.”

“My father did not leave the Park family to start a rival family. He left to start a new ally, that your family very much needed at that time.”

“I guess that all depends on which side is telling the story.”

“I guess so,” Jongdae replied, meeting the challenge of Chanyeol’s harsh words.

“What is the real reason you need our help with your assassin problem?”

“We don’t need help. We just felt that your family would be interested in seeking revenge on the person who made an attempt on your father’s life. It could move things a lot faster, but if you wish to not participate, then we will continue at our own pace and handle the matter ourselves.”

“I only make agreements with other heads of families,” Chanyeol stated.

Jongdae bowed his head in respect.

“I will deliver your message to my father. Thank you for your time.”

His shadow bowed his head as well and the two men left, not uttering another word.

Junmyeon sat at the edge of the desk and faced Chanyeol, then addressed him.

“To be fair,” Junmyeon began, “The Kim family did send flowers to the hospital after the incident happened.”

“They still didn’t reach out until now,” Chanyeol pointed out. “And they obviously don’t take me seriously, so that could have been their way of feeling out the situation to see if there’s a chance they could steal some of our businesses.”

“Your distrust of the Kim family runs deeper than your father’s,” Junmyeon said, “But I agree that Jongdae’s request was a little strange.”

“Who was the man with him?”

“His advisor, Yixing. He’s a strong silent type.”

“Why does Jongdae need an advisor?”

“The elder Kim has been grooming Jongdae to take his place and had him choose his own advisor who is training under the senior advisor. There is a possibility that him sending Jongdae to see you today was less a way of feeling you out and more a way to test his son out in his future position.”

“Well for Jongdae’s sake, I hope it’s the former. Was that my only meeting of the day?”

“No, you have a couple of more, but before then, I wanted to mention something. Jongdae wasn’t lying about the Kim family going through some difficult times. They were in a war with the Wu family and just recently reached a ceasefire last week. They didn’t ask for our assistance during this time, so it’s strange they’re coming to us now.”

“Like we’re an afterthought?” Chanyeol reasoned, trying to follow Junmyeon’s line of thought. “Oh now we have a ceasefire, let’s go talk to the people we’ve been neglecting while this crazy stuff has been happening?”

“They wouldn’t want to remind us of our partnership unless they were going to use us for something. I think they won’t take out the assassin themselves because they frankly don’t have the resources for it.”

“If they were true allies, they’d just give us the information so we could handle it.”

“Right,” Junmyeon nodded. “The Kim family has not felt like allies in a while. However, whatever they’re up to, I don’t think it’s that they’re planning something against us. I think it’s self-preservation. They’re bleeding, and they know all the other families know they’re currently weak. We’re not the first family Jongdae has visited in his father’s place in the past year. The elder Kim is laying low, they’ve lost a lot of their security in the bloodshed. I think this visit was their way of asking for help without looking like they were asking for help.”

“And why should we help them?” Chanyeol said, trying to take this all in, but feeling annoyed by what seemed more like a distraction to him.

“Allies are important. We’ve been hit twice by raids in the past six months. We could have used the Kim family’s eyes and ears to help avoid that.”

“And they weren’t available because of their own issues,” Chanyeol pointed out. “We don’t need them and we don’t need to help them.”

“We don’t need them now.”

“We don’t need them at all.”

Junmyeon nodded at Chanyeol, not in agreement, but in understanding that Chanyeol had made a decision that was final for the time being.

“So then what do we do about this assassin?” Junmyeon said. “Should we get our guys on the case and have them try and figure out who it could be?”

“Let’s just wait until the elder Kim visits. He might drop some hints we could use.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Junmyeon said, standing up and walking toward the door to tell security to let their next guest in.

Chanyeol leaned back in his father’s chair and stared at the harsh light of the window, knowing it was imperative to put as much distance between their family and the Kim family as possible.

***

It bothered Chanyeol that Junmyeon had brought up the raids during the meetings earlier in the day. It bothered him that he had to deal with the bad news at all. He knew that people thought his family was weakened by the attempt on his father’s life, but he didn’t think they were weak at all. If anything, they had a rat problem. How was it possible that suddenly they were being raided when they were so well protected, not just by their own men, but by the officials and police officers that had been paid off?

“You have too much on your mind,” his mother said, her voice surprising him as he looked toward the door to see her walk into the master bedroom.

After meetings, Chanyeol always went to visit his father in the room, to brief him on things as he lay in bed, still unable to move a portion of his body from where the bullets had damaged his nerves.

“He fell asleep on me during my briefing,” Chanyeol explained. “I’ve been waiting for him to wake up.”

“When will you stop lying to me,” she said warmly, adjusting the blanket on her husband’s side. “You’re preoccupied. I doubt you’ll get much sleep tonight either. Why don’t you attempt a nap before doing whatever you plan on doing?”

“I don’t have time for naps,” he stated. “I should get going.” He stood up abruptly and his mother watched him, her eyes tired, but retaining a glint of hope.

“Eat first. Taemin is already digging into his meal, and I’m sure he’d like for you to accompany him before he loses you for the night.”

The idea of eating a meal with his son before attending to business warmed him, and he took his father’s hand to place a small kiss upon it before gently placing it back down on the bed.

He exited the room without another word from his mother, his steadfast bodyguard greeting him with a bow as he entered the hallway. Chanyeol ignored him and walked at a brisk pace, then slowed as he saw his cousin Jongin approaching from the other end.

Jongin smiled at him as he moved closer, already greeting him without a word. Many of Jongin’s methods of communications always seemed to be with actions instead of words, which often made people feel at ease around him, as if they were in on whatever secrets were in Jongin’s mind.

“What?” Chanyeol asked as they met in the middle and paused before each other.

“You’ve been broody since you got here,” Jongin said, a twinkle of concern showed in his eyes, while the rest of his expression remained relaxed and content. “So I thought tonight I’d take you out.”

“I don’t have time to go out,” Chanyeol shifted to move past him, but Jongin grabbed his forearm and kept him in place.

“You have time to go out. Nothing’s going down tonight anyway.”

“Did you get a quick briefing on my matters that I didn’t know about?”

Jongin kept the smile in place as he watched Chanyeol for a moment, waiting him out perhaps.

Chanyeol always got along with his cousin growing up, but as they got older and Chanyeol pulled away from the family business, Jongin embraced it, loving the attention it afforded him when he went out and was gifted with VIP service at every restaurant, club, and establishment he walked into by people wanting to stay in good favor with the Park family.

There was no doubt that out of the entire family, Jongin was the most popular member among friends and foes. Tall like Chanyeol, Jongin had never had looked lanky or uncomfortable with his body, always moving effortlessly from place to place, while Chanyeol had always felt a bit clumsy and unable to understand why his body did one thing when he wanted it to do another.

Also unlike Chanyeol, Jongin had inherited the tan skin of his father, and not the paler skin of his mother’s Park side of the family. And when it suited him, Jongin knew how to bounce from sex appeal to cuteness in order to achieve his goals, something Chanyeol believed had to have come from Jongin’s father as well. The only way Chanyeol knew how to get what he wanted was to be a nuisance long enough until the other person gave in.

“I’m late for dinner,” Chanyeol stated when Jongin had refused to answer.

“Be ready by 10,” Jongin told him, then walked away with a satisfied smile.

Chanyeol took a moment before starting his progress toward the dining room again. He entered to find Anya replenishing rice onto Taemin’s plate, still littered with small pieces of chicken that had been cut for his easy grip.

“Are we only eating the rice today?” He asked his son, kissing his head before sitting beside him.

“Rice tummy,” Taemin said, rubbing his belly before grabbing a fistful of rice to put in his mouth.

“It’s been a losing battle today,” Anya stated.

“It’s fine,” Chanyeol said, then he thanked the maid who brought in his plate of food and placed it before him.

Chanyeol had not missed the fine luxuries of growing up in this home, unable to serve himself his own food or make his own bed. He enjoyed the satisfaction of being responsible for his own care, and when Taemin came along, for his as well. 

He remembered how his mother would come to visit him in his apartment, always needing to check up on him no matter how many times he called her to insist he was doing well. He had prepared them dinner once, and she marveled at the cooking skills he had picked up, though honestly, Chanyeol had to admit the dinner hadn’t turned out quite right. He appeared to have missed the mark on some of the seasonings, leaving it a bit less flavorful than they were both used to.

After Taemin had been born, his mother and father both insisted on visiting more, not understanding his desire to keep their first-born grandchild away from them. He knew they had taken his decision personally, and he tried to make them believe otherwise, insisting that he merely wanted his son to grow up with a normal life. It was the truth, but his parents still felt slighted. Chanyeol figured it was residue for feeling slighted when he had left in the first place.

“Tummy full,” Taemin said, patting his father on his arm for attention.

Chanyeol pulled away from his thoughts and turned his attention to the young boy, rubbing his tummy once again.

“It’s full of rice,” Chanyeol said poking at it, and Taemin laughed and then poked his own belly himself.

“Daddy full of rice,” he then said, reaching to poke Chanyeol’s tummy.

“I haven’t started eating yet,” Chanyeol said, a soft smile breaking as he felt the soft poke on his own stomach.

He ate some of his rice so that Taemin was well pleased, poking and laughing as he pointed out that he could see his father’s tummy get bigger with rice.

In many ways it felt like they were still back in their small apartment, if he could ignore the formal surroundings of the dining room, the maid waiting for his instructions and the nanny that his mother had insisted upon when he had to move back into the house. But he could tune them out enough when he gave Taemin his full attention, and for a moment, when he spoke and played with his son, he could almost make himself believe that his life hadn’t turned into his worst nightmare.

***

Despite the lack of appearances by Chanyeol at this particular family-owned nightclub, the bouncer nodded reverently to him as he walked in with Jongin, very aware of Chanyeol’s position in the family.

“I told the staff you were coming,” Jongin informed Chanyeol as they slid past the people crowding toward the front of the club.

Chanyeol’s bodyguard kept his arm out to gently move clubgoers when necessary.

“And the purpose of that was?”

“People need to know who not to piss off,” Jongin explained.

“Shouldn’t the staff be treating everyone with respect? If people can’t do their jobs and treat our clientele correctly they should be fired.”

“If a customer gets unruly, we toss them out,” Jongin said. “Only people that deserve respect get treated with it.”

Chanyeol wouldn’t question Jongin’s manner of doing business. Unlike Chanyeol’s momentary dilemma, Jongin had been training to run the family entertainment enterprises since he was old enough to legally do so. Chanyeol had no interest in knowing how Jongin handled it, as long as it was being handled. The less he knew, the less connected and more temporary this could feel for him.

“Welcome welcome,” the manager said, greeting them as he shook hands with Jongin and bowed toward Chanyeol. “The best table is ready for you and our best waitress will attend to you the entire night. Get them whatever they like,” he instructed the girl, who held a circular tray in her hand, attentive and ready to serve.

“Let’s start with a good cognac,” Jongin said sliding into the leather booth. “We’re celebrating getting Chanyeol out of the house.”

“The best cognac please,” the manager said to the waitress and she darted from them to complete the request.

Chanyeol slid in beside Jongin as his bodyguard stood against the wall beside the booth.

“I’m already bored by all this,” Chanyeol sighed, reaching to pull his phone out of his pants pocket.

“No, none of that,” Jongin said, taking the phone from him and putting it in his pocket instead. “This is a night of pleasure. No business. Besides, this is your scene. The whole time you were off pretending to be a normal person, I heard about people seeing you at other clubs and bars around town. Owned by other families, no less. Not the best impression for us.”

“I can’t even have privacy at a club we don’t own,” Chanyeol mumbled to himself.

“It’s your own fault. You made yourself more interesting when you ran away.”

“I didn’t run away. I did what normal people do. I left home and went to go live my own life.”

“People only do that because their lives suck. Your life didn’t suck.”

“That is a matter of opinion.”

“No it’s a fact. Your parents love you. They spoiled you rotten. They gave you the best of everything, and even when you decided to turn your back on them, they still made sure you were okay and had what you needed.”

“It doesn’t change that what our family does is wrong.”

“How old were you when you came to that conclusion?”

Chanyeol looked at Jongin and found him staring back at him with amused curiosity.

The waitress returned at that moment, letting Jongin inspect the bottle of cognac before getting his approval, then she poured two glasses for them.

“Would you like something else at this moment?” She asked, her voice softer than what Chanyeol had expected.

“Water, please,” Chanyeol said.

Jongin took a sip of his drink and looked at Chanyeol, the arch of his eyebrow asking, “So?” without needing his mouth to interpret the question.

“Too old,” Chanyeol replied, sipping his drink and enjoying the rich flavor that slid down his throat. “I was in denial until around the age of ten when I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without a shadow and figured out why.”

“The year our family became the most powerful among the families,” Jongin nodded.

“A lot of people died,” Chanyeol reminded him.

“People always die,” Jongin shrugged off. “It doesn’t change that someone has to be in charge, and it’s better that it be us than someone else. Your father is kind. He doesn’t bully other businesses or force impossible demands on anyone. He’s fair and wants balance and peace among the other families. Imagine our world with any of the other families in charge? At least we’re the good guys in this situation.”

“Huh,” Chanyeol said nodding, “Now I know how you convince your conscience to sleep at night.”

Jongin smiled in return, raising his glass as if in a toast before taking another sip.

Chanyeol glanced around, taking in the clientele and trying to determine why, out of all of their establishments, Jongin had brought him to this one. The music was good, Jongin knew that would be important to him, but he imagined that Jongin made sure the music was good at all their clubs.

“How long do you intend on keeping me hostage?” Chanyeol asked him, thanking the waitress when she had brought him his water.

“Until I know you had a good time.”

“We’ll be here forever then.”

“Don’t act like you don’t have needs. You haven’t gotten laid once since you moved back home. You probably haven’t gotten laid in the three years since you became a dad.”

“That’s not true,” Chanyeol stated. At least he could counter that point, if not the others.

Jongin smirked in surprise than shook his head.

“I still can’t believe you knocked up a stripper. That’s something the family was expecting me to do, not you.”

“It’s not something they expected either of us to do. Stop buying into your own rebellious image. We all know you’re the good Park offspring between the two of us. Where is your girlfriend anyway?”

“Visiting her parents,” he stated, his expression softening at her mention.

Jongin loved his girlfriend in a way that Chanyeol could never quite relate to. The closest he had come to love had been a disaster from the moment it started, due to the fact it shouldn’t have started at all. But Jongin’s love for his girlfriend was pure and he treated her like a queen, and no matter how many beautiful women threw themselves at him at the club, he always gently let them down and faithfully returned to the only person his eyes cared to look upon.

Chanyeol didn’t see the point.

“Come on,” Jongin said, putting his empty glass down and nodding for Chanyeol to follow. “You need to get on the dance floor.”

“So I can make you look good?” Chanyeol questioned, already annoyed by the suggestion.

“You’re not as bad of a dancer as you think you are.”

No, Chanyeol wasn’t. He had rhythm. He just couldn’t seem to make any dance move look like it went to it. Jongin, on the other hand, was a gifted dancer. Chanyeol had not unwillingly allowed himself to be dragged out of the house just to look like an idiot next to his cousin.

“I’ll enjoy the view,” Chanyeol stated, switching to his water.

“He’s not allowed to leave,” Jongin pointed out to Chanyeol’s bodyguard. Then he descended onto the dance floor, greeted by acquaintances that had been waiting for the opportunity to dance with him.

Chanyeol sighed and dropped his head onto the table, already thinking about how he’d rather be reading a bedtime story to Taemin, tucking him in, and then wishing him a good night before crawling into his own bed and making his life go away for a few hours.

He took a deep breath and lifted his head again, leaning back against the cool leather of the booth and staring at Jongin as girls began to congregate around him, hoping for a chance that they were never going to get.

The days of Chanyeol picking up one-night stands at clubs had ended the moment Taemin came into his life. He had made a decision early in his life to not bother ever committing to anyone, knowing that bringing anyone into his family was sentencing them to a life of crime and possibly early death. He couldn’t imagine doing that to someone he loved.

The biggest mistake he had ever made was creating Taemin in the first place, but it had been an accident, and Chanyeol knew he’d spend the rest of his life dealing with those consequences. But if he could somehow convince his father to let Jongin take over the family business instead of him, then maybe he could keep his son permanently safe.

He watched Jongin as he flirted with the prettiest of the girls around him, and he let her come closer to dance with him, the knowing smirk planted on his face.

Chanyeol knew that the biggest problem in his plan was that his father didn’t think Jongin was the right person for the job.

“Would you like more water?” The waitress asked him.

Chanyeol looked down at his empty glass, unsure of how it had reached that state and nodded. “Yes, thank you. Where is the restroom?”

“Just past the staircase,” she said pointing to the spiral staircase on the side of the VIP area he sat at. It led down to the dance floor as well, though in a less extravagant fashion.

Chanyeol stood and his shadow stepped forward to accompany him as he moved through the VIP area and through the dim hallway where the restrooms were located.

He paused before reaching the door to the men’s room, his eyes catching the sight of a young man with rainbow-colored hair, leaning against the wall as he looked at his phone.

The hair had been the first thing capable of being noticed, but Chanyeol’s sight worked its way down, taking in the lean body and the black mesh shirt, the belt around the hips of his ripped black jeans, the way his relaxed pose seemed to contradict the action of him biting his lip as he read something on the small lit screen in his hand.

Chanyeol had never been particular about which gender he took home at night, but he often found himself drawn to men that stood out from the crowd. He supposed he perceived them to be adventurous and more unwilling to get attached. 

The rainbow-haired man let out a breath and looked up at the ceiling before turning his head and catching Chanyeol’s gaze. He didn’t turn away, and Chanyeol walked forward, keeping his eyes locked with his until he stood before him.

“You seem to have received some frustrating news,” Chanyeol pointed out, nodding toward the phone.

“I have a deadbeat roommate,” he stated, and he passed his hand through his hair, the colors of the rainbow falling back into place.

“I see. Late on rent?”

“Always.”

“How short are you?”

“I’m not short. He’s short,” he stated with slight indignation, and Chanyeol began to notice a slight lisp in the way he spoke.

“Semantics.”

The man hesitated and Chanyeol kept staring at him, then remembered the purpose of his initial trajectory when his bladder protested.

“Wait here,” Chanyeol instructed before entering the bathroom finally after his shadow had inspected it first to mark it all clear.

When he returned to the hallway, he was relieved to see the rainbow-haired man waiting in the same exact spot, now with his arms crossed.

“What’s your name?” Chanyeol asked him.

“Sehun,” he replied.

“You came here alone?”

“Yes.”

“Were you hoping to leave here alone?”

“No.”

Chanyeol nodded and thought for a moment about the situation. Taemin slept in his room with him, so he couldn’t bring him back home. He supposed he could have a room prepared at one of the hotels they owned. It would be more efficient that way regardless.

“Come have a drink with me,” Chanyeol said in a tone that did not leave room for protest.

Sehun’s face did not react, and he simply uncrossed his arms and followed Chanyeol, as he had requested.

Once they were seated in the booth, Chanyeol poured them each more cognac, and he took a sip as he watched the young man take a sip and then lick his bottom lip.

“This is an interesting drink,” Sehun stated, grabbing the bottle to look at it.

“You’ve not had cognac before?”

“I’ve never even heard of it.”

“What do you normally like to drink?”

“I’m not much of a drinker. I’ll have soju every now and then.”

“Interesting.”

“How so?”

“Your hair makes me think you’re a bit more adventurous.”

“I don’t need to drink to be adventurous.”

Chanyeol liked the answer and rewarded it with a small smirk, which Sehun responded to by taking another sip of his drink while keeping his eyes focused on Chanyeol’s.

“How did you get into VIP?” Chanyeol then asked him.

“I was dancing with someone who brought me up here, but I lost him when I had to handle my deadbeat roommate situation.”

“His loss.”

“Or mine. He was really good looking.”

“You’ve upgraded,” Chanyeol said, not appreciating the slight, but thinking perhaps the young man hadn’t meant it in such a way.

“Have I?” Sehun asked, and Chanyeol wondered if he should make him aware that he was playing a dangerous game.

“Are you blind?”

“I can see just fine.”

“Do you not like what you see?”

“You have big ears.”

“You can’t pay your rent, so the way I see it we’re both flawed.”

“I can pay my rent.”

“Without your deadbeat roommate’s half?”

Sehun said nothing and finally broke the gaze, glancing down at the drink as if debating whether or not he should take another sip.

“How much is it?” Chanyeol asked. “The amount you’re short.”

“$500.”

“That’s it?”

Sehun looked back at him, unsure as his eyes narrowed.

“I can give you the $500,” Chanyeol stated.

“I’m not a prostitute,” Sehun replied, but he didn’t look offended.

“I’m not saying you are. I’m just offering to help you out.”

“No one just helps someone out. What do you want in return?”

“Nothing. You’ve already given me plenty.”

“How so?”

“You’ve kept me more entertained tonight than I thought I would be when I was first dragged here by my cousin.”

“So you’re here with someone.”

“My cousin isn’t someone.”

“Does he have big ears?”

“No, he’s probably more your type,” Chanyeol said, nodding toward Jongin as he walked over to the table.

The smile on Jongin’s face showed how thrilled he was that Chanyeol had found someone to keep him company, and he sat next to Chanyeol and said, “You made a friend.”

“More like a charity case.”

Sehun put his glass down on the table.

“Be nice,” Jongin said. “Something about everyone deserves respect or other.”

“I need a refill,” Chanyeol said, pouring himself another drink.

“I’ve seen you here before,” Jongin said to Sehun. “Wasn’t your hair pink last time?”

“I get bored easily,” Sehun stated.

“And white before then,” Jongin nodded. “I should have guessed you’d grab my cousin’s attention.”

“You’re right,” Sehun said as he looked back at Chanyeol, “He is more my type.”

“Unfortunately for you, he’s taken.”

“It really hasn’t been my night.”

Jongin looked between them, amused and perhaps a bit confused. Chanyeol was too caught up in his banter with Sehun to notice which.

“It’s your own fault. I offered to make it better.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“So how are you going to get the money?”

“I’ll figure something out.”

“You get bored easily, you don’t like taking the easy way out, you have superficial tastes and you live in a dump probably in a seedy part of town. Let me guess, you have bars on your windows to keep the druggies out so they don’t steal the only thing of value, which is probably your phone, and you live in such a shithole that you take any roommate you can get only to have them constantly bail on you because they’re probably losing all their money betting on cockfights. How do you make money?”

“You seem to have it all figured out. Why don’t you tell me?”

Chanyeol took him in for a moment, trying to figure out what job he could possibly have. He sat erect, and had great posture, and seemed relatively healthy for someone in a situation as he had suggested. He realized he had it all wrong, but he continued with the fantasy.

“You’re a hairstylist.”

Sehun snorted and even Jongin laughed.

“That’s so obvious,” Jongin said, asking the waitress to bring them beers. “Where’s your imagination?”

“Fine, you’re a barista at a trendy coffee shop and the horrible music you have to listen to for your entire shift makes you suicidal.”

“You’re bad at this,” Sehun stated. “Maybe we should try this in reverse. I’ll try and guess what it is you do that affords you VIP access and weird drinks in fancy bottles.”

Chanyeol smirked and made himself more comfortable in the booth, preparing to be amused.

“Go right ahead.”

Jongin bit his lip to keep laughing.

“You own your own company. Like a startup?”

“That’s also so obvious,” Jongin said, laughing with his eyes.

“I was just warming up,” Sehun said and he cocked his head to take Chanyeol in for a moment. “You’re a famous actor or singer.”

“If I were a famous actor or singer, wouldn’t you know who I was?”

“I don’t pay attention to things like that. I wouldn’t know.”

“What makes you think I’m a famous actor or singer?”

“You have a bodyguard.”

“It’s a good guess,” Jongin nodded, thanking the waitress for the beers as he passed them out to the others at the table.

“It seems we’re both equally bad at this game,” Chanyeol commented as he took a sip of his beer. “When is your rent due by?”

“Tomorrow.”

“You seem to be in a bind then.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I’ll give you the money.”

“I don’t need it.”

“You do need it, you just don’t want to admit you need it.”

“I should get going,” Sehun said, scooting to the edge of the booth.

“Oh, don’t go,” Jongin said, “Really, you two seem to be getting along. I think. I honestly can’t tell, but still.”

“It’s fine,” Chanyeol said. “I should get going too. It’s getting late.”

“It’s not that late,” Jongin said, checking his platinum watch to make sure. “And it’s not fine. I can’t believe I have to help you with this. You used to be good at this.”

“Maybe I don’t want this.”

“No, you want this,” Jongin said looking at Sehun then back at Chanyeol. “You definitely want this.”

Chanyeol glanced at Sehun, taking in the perfect proportions of his face and then the lean curvature of his neck. Maybe he did want it, but he didn’t need it. All he needed was to go home and get some sleep.

“Look,” Jongin said to Sehun, “Forget the whole him trying to pay your rent thing. My cousin is very charitable and he likes helping people out, so it’s a habit for him. He wasn’t trying to buy you or anything. But you are his type, and he really needs to get laid, so maybe you can help him out.”

Chanyeol glared at Jongin, ready to kill him on the spot, but he refrained and let out a deep breath before looking back at Sehun who stared at him with a pensive expression.

“So it looks like we’re both charity cases,” Sehun said to him.

“I don’t need to get laid,” Chanyeol muttered, finishing his beer.

He looked over at Jongin to see him mouthing to Sehun, “Yes he does,” which made Sehun smirk.

Chanyeol shoved Jongin’s shoulder, and his cousin laughed, as if somehow Chanyeol had proven his point.

“I guess we could help each other out,” Sehun then said. He looked up for a moment then looked back at Chanyeol, “I’d have to pay back the money though.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I do. Otherwise it would definitely feel like prostitution. I can have it for you in a week.”

“A loan,” Chanyeol nodded. “That seems fair. You can bring it to him here at the club,” he instructed, nodding toward Jongin.

“I’ll do that then. So are we heading to your place? I’m assuming, since you’d be too scared to navigate the druggies to get into my shithole of an apartment. Plus the bars on the window might freak you out too much to get it up.”

Jongin snorted and looked at Chanyeol with another amused smile.

“There’s a hotel I can get a room at. My cousin will make the arrangements since he’s so invested in this happening.”

“I’m on it,” Jongin said, pulling out his phone. “I know the perfect hotel and the perfect suite.”

Now Chanyeol felt like the prostitute. This was ridiculous and he had no idea why he had let Jongin con him into any of this. But it was fine. A one-night stand with the rainbow-haired man would be a good break in the monotony of his time as the acting head of the family. Being out didn’t take away his worries and stresses, but it did offer his mind a chance to focus on other things momentarily.

Once Jongin had made all the arrangements, he walked them out of the club and to the waiting car they had arrived in, which had already pulled up to the curb in anticipation of their return.

“Remember, practice safe sex,” Jongin said to Chanyeol as he fixed his cousin’s tie and tried to make Chanyeol’s hair get into some type of order.

“I’m already mad at you about this. Don’t make it worse.”

“You’ll thank me later. I can really tell you wanted this one. Just relax and have fun with it.”

“I’m also mad that he finds you more attractive than me.”

“That’s inevitable. I am more attractive.”

Chanyeol gave Jongin a small glare then shook his head before entering the car and sliding across the smooth leather of the back seat to make room for Sehun.

The younger man followed his lead and slid in, and the driver closed the door, while Chanyeol’s bodyguard took the front passenger seat.

Once they were on the road, Chanyeol leaned his head back against the seat, taking a moment to calm his thoughts and stresses. Then he looked toward Sehun, who sat watching him, probably wondering what he had gotten himself into.

“You don’t have to do this,” Chanyeol told him. “I can just have the driver drop you off at your place.”

“I don’t mind doing this,” Sehun said. “But if you’re having second thoughts and want to disappoint your cousin, I suppose you can.”

“I don’t care if I disappoint my cousin,” he said, and then he sighed and stared out the window. Too many thoughts to count racing in his head.

“You never told me your name,” Sehun mentioned.

Chanyeol looked back at him and shook his head.

“You don’t need to know it.”

“What should I call you then?”

“You don’t need to call me anything.”

Sehun looked unsure about this, but then shrugged it off and looked Chanyeol up and down again, maybe thinking he could uncover the name by his appearance.

“So why haven’t you gotten laid in a while?” Sehun asked.

“You don’t need to know that either.”

“I’d like to know what I’m working with here.”

“You don’t need to know anything.”

Sehun looked a bit loss for words, then he turned his attention to the window, much to Chanyeol’s relief.

He didn’t know why his palms were sweaty or why he felt so anxious about this situation. Maybe it was the fact that he was out of practice, or maybe it was that he was used to people being attracted to him when he did hook up with them. Or maybe he was making excuses because in reality, he had left this part of his life behind him and he didn’t know why he was bothering to revisit it. He really was upset with Jongin.

They arrived at the hotel and the driver opened the door for them. 

“So good to see you,” the manager on duty said as he greeted Chanyeol with a respectful bow. “Everything is in order for your evening. If you will follow me.”

Chanyeol nodded at him and followed as he ignored the look of curiosity Sehun gave him.

The doorman held the door open for them and they entered the spacious and luxurious space of their family’s premier hotel. It had been the first one his father had purchased, and the one he loved the most, investing time and money each year into its upkeep and maintenance. The golden hues of the lobby reflected light from various points, as the lush purple and red couches for relaxation provided comfort for the guests. A wall of water ran behind the front desk, the drops sparkling in the golden light. It was all a bit extravagant, and he added this choice to the list of reasons he would kill Jongin tomorrow.

“The suite has been prepared as requested,” the manager said as he led them to the golden elevators.

Chanyeol glanced toward Sehun to see him staring around him, barely paying attention to where he walked, as he took in the grandeur that surrounded him.

When they stepped into the elevator, he noticed Sehun continued to do the same, staring up at the intricate designs of the elevator ceiling and then to the walls at the gold-flecked paneling. If Chanyeol had to describe the look on Sehun’s face, the only word that seemed to come to mind was “astonished” and perhaps a bit unsure as well.

“The refrigerator has been stocked with refreshments, a special basket has been prepared by instruction that has been placed by the bed, and an envelope has been left upon the dining table. If you require anything else, please let me know so that I may provide it for you.”

“Thank you,” Chanyeol said.

The elevator door slid open and the manager handed Chanyeol the key to the elevator, then allowed them to exit the elevator before wishing him a good night and disappearing as the elevator doors closed.

Jongin had requested the Presidential Suite, and true to its name, the President did often stay in this suite, always as a special guest of his father’s. He wondered if he should mention that fact to Sehun to see if the young man’s eyes could widen any further.

Chanyeol headed to the kitchen area while Sehun stood in front of the wall-to-wall glass that afforded the best view in town of the city’s skyline and the river that flowed through it. Chanyeol glanced toward him as he tried to pick a drink they’d both enjoy, and he noticed that for the first time in the night, Sehun looked disbelieving.

“Would you like some soju?” Chanyeol asked him.

“I think I need it,” Sehun said, pulling away from the view and walking over to him.

Chanyeol opened a bottle and poured them two shots, handing Sehun one, then taking his own. He knew he needed it.

“Are the lack of bars on the windows going to make it difficult for you to get it up?” Chanyeol teased him, hoping to ease his own anxiousness.

“I’m surprised I was allowed to enter this hotel with the way I’m dressed,” Sehun said instead of acknowledging the joke. “Obviously because I was with you. Whoever you are.”

“I’m the guy with the big ears.”

Chanyeol spotted the envelope on the table and he walked over to take a look. It contained $500 in it, Jongin having taken care of the loan as well. He placed it back on the table and said nothing about it as he walked toward the bedroom to see what was in this basket that Jongin had arranged for them.

He snorted as he took in all of the pleasurable items, and plenty of condoms, as if this night would go so well.

Sehun came to look as well and Chanyeol felt he should give him some sort of explanation for Jongin’s optimism, but Sehun spoke first.

“So, do you prefer to top or bottom?”

“Top,” Chanyeol stated, his tone indicating there’d be no other option.

Sehun looked a bit disappointed by the answer, but he nodded in acknowledgement and placed his shot glass on the nightstand along with the basket.

Chanyeol watched him take a glance at the city, the wall-to-wall windows continuing into the bedroom as well, and then Sehun looked back at him and appeared to take him in as he walked to stand in the spot between Chanyeol and the bed, facing Chanyeol and inspecting his face for a moment.

“You have a nice profile,” Sehun mentioned.

“My ears look normal from that angle I’m guessing?”

“Maybe that’s it.”

Chanyeol took him in as well, hating that he couldn’t find a single physical flaw to point out. His features were narrow and soft, the kind considered ideal, and all in perfect proportion to each other, from his pouty lips to the brown eyes that seemed to be constantly curious while simultaneously judging.

“You’re really attractive. But I’m sure you know that,” Chanyeol stated.

“I’ve been told.”

Chanyeol had no other words for him. He didn’t see the point in having a conversation with him, and Sehun seemed to sense this as he bit his lip momentarily, then reached down to pull up his mesh shirt, taking it off and tossing it to the floor.

Chanyeol couldn’t stop himself from reaching out, his fingertips wanting to feel if the porcelain skin of the man in front of him was as smooth as it looked. It was clear that Sehun worked out, or at least was active enough to have such a lean and fit body. He ran his hand over Sehun’s abs, not quite a six pack, but they didn’t have to be, the definition fit his frame, and Chanyeol let his hand trace the outlines before sliding up to his chest and letting his thumb graze over his nipple.

Sehun made no reaction to any of Chanyeol’s touches and instead he reached out to unbutton Chanyeol’s shirt.

Chanyeol let him, and figured that Sehun wanted to get this over with, which annoyed Chanyeol slightly, even though he himself wanted to get this over with as well.

Sehun pushed the shoulders of the shirt down after he had unbuttoned it and Chanyeol took it upon himself to pull the shirt from his arms, tossing it to join Sehun’s crumpled mesh shirt on the floor.

This time it was Sehun who reached out to touch him, and he ran his hands over his chest, the action feeling better to Chanyeol than he had hoped. It really had been too long since he had been touched. He tried to not react so he could keep pace with Sehun’s lack of emotions, but his body shivered slightly at the touch, and Sehun looked up at him.

Chanyeol looked away, annoyed with himself and his body, but then he felt Sehun move his hands to his arms, sliding up and down the taut skin.

“You have really nice arms,” Sehun stated. “You work out.”

“Only when I’m stressed,” Chanyeol replied, and he looked back at him, to see Sehun staring right at him. It was unnerving how Sehun had no issues looking right into his eyes.

“You must be stressed a lot then,” Sehun observed, and he took his hands away so that he could unbutton his jeans and pull them off.

Chanyeol followed his lead until they were both only in their underwear, and then Sehun lay on the bed and his eyes widened.

“Oh my god, this is the most comfortable bed I have ever been in.”

Chanyeol was not surprised to hear this. His father would not have allowed anything less in this suite than the utmost comfort.

“I’m glad you like it,” Chanyeol said, not sure what to say as he looked up and down the length of Sehun’s body. He decided that he needed to just let loose and make this night happen. A beautiful boy lay in a bed waiting for him, and he really had wanted him at first sight.

He got onto the bed, crawling so that he was over Sehun, wishing he looked like a panther smoothly catching his prey, but knowing he looked more like a baby deer trying to keep up with its mother in the forest. Regardless, he looked down upon Sehun’s perfect face and ran his hand through the rainbow-colored hair, thinking it was too soft to be real. Then again, Sehun had looked unreal to begin with.

Sehun placed his hands on Chanyeol’s body, caressing his skin in return as he looked up at him, not expectantly, but again, curious. Chanyeol began to wonder how old he was, but he wouldn’t ask. The less he knew, the better.

To Chanyeol’s relief, Sehun accommodated all of Chanyeol’s actions, touching him at the right time and adjusting his body when needed. Chanyeol had tucked his head into Sehun’s neck to taste him, and Sehun did react to that, a soft moan escaping as Chanyeol’s tongue seemed to have found a sensitive spot. 

It went easier than Chanyeol had thought it would, with Sehun taking the initiative to push Chanyeol away so that he could go down on him, causing Chanyeol’s mind to explode with sensations he had starved himself from for so long. He had looked down, and felt the need to run his fingers through the imaginary boy’s hair as if somehow he could pull some of the technicolor energy into himself. This had to be a dream.

But it wasn’t a dream, and soon he had Sehun laying back down where he wanted him, returning the favor momentarily before preparing him. Sehun bit his lip, the curiosity in his eyes now replaced with uncertainty as he gripped the plush pillow that his head lay upon.

“I promise I won’t hurt you,” Chanyeol told him.

Sehun said nothing and now Chanyeol looked at him with uncertainty.

“You have done this before right?”

“Just a couple of times,” Sehun answered. “I prefer to top as well.”

“I feel bad that you have had no luck today at all.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure tomorrow will fare better.”

“If you don’t want me to…”

“I’m already naked in your bed.”

“It’s not my bed. It’s a hotel bed.”

“Well I’m not paying for this bed, you are, so as far as I’m concerned it’s your bed.”

“Technically my cousin is paying for it.”

“Okay then, I’m already naked in your cousin’s bed.”

Chanyeol snorted and Sehun smirked in response, the tension breaking just enough to allow Chanyeol to move forward and Sehun to accept his fate with ease.

Chanyeol did do his best to not hurt him, taking his time even though his anxious body wanted to feel every bit of pleasure all at once and as quickly as possible. He took his cues from the small noises Sehun would make and adjusted accordingly, but just as he was clumsy in his day to day life, this situation was not much different and he apologized each time he heard Sehun hiss or saw him close his eyes tightly.

In the end, he collapsed beside him, in what really was the most comfortable bed in the world, and it took him a very long moment to catch his breath, as his body fell into a relaxed state, one he had not been in for a long time.

It had been something he had more than needed, and he’d have to thank Jongin tomorrow, at least a little bit. He’d still have to kill him for being over the top with the room choice however.

“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked Sehun, peeking over to see how his bed companion had fared.

“Yeah,” he said.

“I tried to keep my promise,” Chanyeol said with a sigh.

“I didn’t expect you to,” Sehun stated and Chanyeol just stared at him. “But you kept it enough.”

“Why didn’t you expect me to?”

“You’re very rich, and rich people tend to make promises they don’t intend on keeping.”

“Do you say that from personal experience?”

“Politicians are rich and they never keep their promises.”

“So, no, not from personal experience,” Chanyeol deduced.

“You sweat a lot,” Sehun decided to point out and Chanyeol did have to admit to feeling a bit chilly now that the air had hit his damp skin.

“Have you always been this rude?” Chanyeol snapped as he tugged one of the blankets over him. “Wait, don’t answer that. I don’t care.”

Sehun didn’t answer, and instead cuddled into him under the blanket as well.

“What are you doing?” Chanyeol asked him, his eyes widening at this unexpected action.

“I’m cold too. Did you want me to leave?”

Did he? He just assumed that he would leave at some point.

“I don’t think I intended on spending the entire night here. Your rent is on the table. Jongin left it in an envelope for you. You can go if you want.”

“What if I want to stay?”

“Why would you want to stay?”

“Because this is the most comfortable bed in the world, and I’d like to sleep in it.”

Chanyeol couldn’t argue with that reasoning. He too had the thought that even if he wanted to leave, his body wouldn’t allow him to.

“Okay, well it’s a big bed,” Chanyeol said, pulling away from him a bit. “So you can sleep on that side, and I’ll sleep on this side.”

“I like to cuddle.”

Chanyeol blinked, and before he could respond, Sehun had latched himself onto him again. Chanyeol was not a cuddler. Well, he had been a cuddler, but never with a one night stand.

“It’s too hot to cuddle,” he tried.

“It’s too cold to not cuddle,” Sehun countered back.

“I thought it bothered you that I was sweaty.”

“It doesn’t bother me. It was an observation.”

“I’m not into the cuddling thing,” Chanyeol told him.

Sehun sighed and pulled away, muttering to himself, “Tomorrow will be better,” before turning his back to Chanyeol as he lay on his side.

Chanyeol didn’t usually mind disappointing people in this situation, but since he had been the one to initiate so much of what had happened that night, he felt a sort of responsibility to not have Sehun feel that the whole night had been a failure for him. He’d never see him again anyway, so what difference did it make if he cuddled with the guy for the night? 

“Fine, come here,” he said.

He expected a snarky reply, but instead he got a warm body by his side, and an arm wrapped around his waist as Sehun fit his head into the crook of Chanyeol’s neck and fell asleep before Chanyeol could do anything about it.

Chanyeol gave in to the moment and relaxed, wrapped by this nuisance of a man, but not hating the situation and knowing that it would probably be a long time before he had another one like it. 

He rested as well as he possibly could, slipping out just before sunrise in the morning and informing the manager to let his guest sleep and stay for as long as he liked.

***

After his breakfast with Taemin, Chanyeol went to visit his father as he always did each and every morning. He sat beside his father’s bed, holding his hand and looking at the arrangement on the nightstand since his father was still asleep.

Fresh flowers had replaced the ones from yesterday that had begun to droop, and a small purple box sat beside them. Chanyeol had not noticed the box before.

He let go of his father’s hand to reach for it, and he opened it, the only thing inside, a melody that escaped. The composition did not seem familiar to Chanyeol as the tiny music box dinged out the notes, and Chanyeol’s brows furrowed as he tried to place it or where the box had come from.

His father uttered some words, his speech not clear yet courtesy of all the medication he was on.

Chanyeol glanced at his father, hoping to hear him, as he uttered the words again. He shut the music box to listen.

“Kyungsoo,” his father said, and the sound made no sense to Chanyeol, although his best guess was that of a name.

“Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol asked him.

His father’s eyes fluttered open, and he repeated the name, but as his gaze appeared to adjust, his words changed to, “Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol put the box down and took his father’s hand again.

“I’m here,” he reassured him. “I’ll call for your breakfast.”

Chanyeol pressed the button on the receiver by the bed to alert the kitchen staff that his father had awakened.

“Did you sleep well?” Chanyeol asked his father, but his father seemed a bit dazed as if still trying to distinguish his reality.

His mother came in a moment later, adjusting the knot on her robe as she scurried to her husband’s side.

“You look better today than yesterday, my love,” she said, placing a kiss upon her husband’s cheek and taking his other hand.

The elder Park trained his eyes on her instead and they softened at the sight, the confusion gone.

“I will brief you on the day’s events later,” Chanyeol said standing up. “I’m glad you’re looking better.” He kissed his father’s hand and left to attend to business.

***

Both Junmyeon and Jongin were in his father’s office when Chanyeol entered, and he pointed to Jongin and told the bodyguard that stood outside the door to kill him.

“Did it go that bad?” Jongin asked him with a laugh. “According to the hotel manager, your rainbow-haired friend stayed the night.”

“I’m serious about the killing,” Chanyeol told the bodyguard, and Junmyeon told the bodyguard to keep his post, then he shut the door.

“It’s very dangerous what you did,” Junmyeon told him, returning to stand by the side of his desk. “Even with your bodyguard with you, you can’t pick up strange people at clubs. You don’t know who they might be connected to.”

“I already told him I’d seen that kid at the club many times, leaving with different people,” Jongin interjected. “He’s harmless.”

“Those assumptions can be made for you, but not for the head of the family,” Junmyeon countered.

“Acting head of the family,” Chanyeol pointed out, as he listened to them with his arms crossed, still standing near the door. “As in temporary.”

“Acting or not, you are the head of the family, and you need to be careful,” Junmyeon stated. “Lucky for you, Jongin is right. He’s harmless. We ran a background check on him.”

“You did what?” Chanyeol asked, uncrossing his arms as he walked over to his father’s desk to take his place in the chair behind it.

“A background check,” Junmyeon said again. “Standard procedure. He’s not connected to any other family, so he checked out.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Chanyeol said with sarcasm. “What else did you find out about him?”

“I thought you weren’t interested in that kind of information from one night stands?” Jongin teased him.

“I’m not, but if we have the information, I may as well know it.”

Chanyeol ignored the suspicious glance and smile Jongin threw his way.

“We could only find out so much with the little information we had to go on,” Junmyeon said, “But his full name is Oh Sehun. He’s a college student. Sophomore. Majoring in Ethics & Philosophy. Is part of a dance team of some sort, lives off campus with two roommates, one which we know can’t ever seem to pay rent. He works a part-time job at the library on campus. Parents happily married, working class, has one older brother.”

“Our people also confirmed there are no bars on the windows of his rather nice, but small, student apartment,” Jongin added with an amused nod.

“You call that ‘little information’?” Chanyeol asked staring at Junmyeon. “You just told me his whole life story.”

“Well to be fair,” Junmyeon said, “It’s a lot easier to ask questions about someone with rainbow-colored hair as opposed to someone who blends in better.”

“He’s only a sophomore?” Chanyeol asked, not sure how he felt about that.

“At least he’s not a freshman,” Jongin pointed out with a laugh.

“I’m glad you find this amusing,” Chanyeol said with a glare toward his cousin.

“Did you not have a good night?”

“He insulted me the whole night.”

“You made him feel like a prostitute. I think you guys are even.”

“It doesn’t matter. We have things to address this morning. Jongin, since you’re here, two of our clubs were raided in the past six months. Any leads on how that happened?”

“I’d hardly call the first one a raid,” Jongin said, crossing his leg over the other to better settle into the chair. “After I spoke to our people in the police department, it was clear that they were going after someone that happened to be in our club at the time they tracked him down. Pure coincidence.”

Chanyeol looked at Junmyeon for confirmation.

“That’s not how we have the incident logged,” Junmyeon said to Jongin. “Chanyeol should know the details of the night. He hasn’t been briefed on it.”

“That’s how it should have been logged,” Jongin waved off, and he looked at Chanyeol. “While the cops were there, they decided to shut the club down to try and look at our records. Rogue cops, if you will. But they didn’t get near them. I handled it. Like I said, hardly a raid.”

“And the second one?” Chanyeol asked.

“That one was a raid,” Jongin confirmed.

“Why didn’t our people at the department give us a heads up?”

“They didn’t know about it.”

“Then we need new people in the department.”

“I’ve been working on that.”

“With my father recovering, people will see this as a prime opportunity to attack. I need you to have this situation completely handled.”

“It will be,” Jongin nodded, his confidence of that answer showing through in his placid smile.

“Good. You can go now.”

“I don’t get any more details about the night?”

“Get out.”

Jongin laughed and gave him a small bow before leaving as was customary of any member, even your own blood, after business affairs with the head.

“So is he handling it?” Chanyeol asked Junmyeon after Jongin had left.

“I can only assume so,” Junmyeon said, taking the seat Jongin had vacated. “He has had meetings with members of the force, so it seems he’s making some kind of moves. The second raid shook him a bit, so I do think he’s trying.”

“Keep an eye on that for me,” Chanyeol said.

“I already am.”

Chanyeol let out a sigh and took a deep breath to replace it, already starting to feel all his stresses creep back up into him.

“Have we made progress on finding our would-be assassin?”

“Not particularly, but the elder Kim will be dropping by today, so we may find out something then.”

“Today?” Chanyeol asked surprised. “I didn’t expect a quick turnaround.”

“It does make it seem like this is far more important to them than they keep trying to let on, but again I remind you, they are allies. I don’t think their intentions are bad.”

“We’ll see,” Chanyeol said.

When the elder Kim did arrive, it was with his advisor in tow, along with Jongdae and Yixing. Chanyeol stood from his desk and walked over to greet the man, shaking his hand after both men bowed to each other.

“I was not expecting you so soon,” Chanyeol told him as he took his seat back in his father’s chair.

The elder Kim sat in the chair facing him while the other three Kim family members stood for the meeting along with Junmyeon.

“I heard you were not pleased with my replacement yesterday,” the elder Kim stated, and though Chanyeol had his full attention on the elder Kim, he could see Jongdae tense up out of the corner of his eye. “It was not my intention to offend. I’ve been busy with other family matters, but that is no excuse. I should have come to greet you first and I do apologize. How is your father doing?”

“He’s doing better each day. I imagine in another three weeks’ time, he’ll be sitting here, and you’ll be having this conversation with him.”

“It warms me to hear it. Your father has always been a tough man, able to handle whatever comes his way. It seems you’ve inherited that strength as well.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Chanyeol humbly replied.

“I can see that you have,” the elder Kim insisted. “You sit comfortably in that chair, as if you belong in it. Unfortunately, I did not pass on such strengths to my own son.”

Chanyeol did glance at Jongdae then, to see his former friend roll his eyes and look away from the scene. Chanyeol thought that Jongdae looked even more defeated than he did yesterday, and a small pang tugged at his heart. Growing up, Jongdae had always been lighthearted and had a smile that would make his eyes disappear while lighting up the mood of whomever witnessed it. Chanyeol wondered when Jongdae had smiled last.

“So as I mentioned to your son,” Chanyeol said focusing back on Jongdae’s father, “We plan on handling the failed assassin ourselves.”

“I can understand why,” the elder Kim nodded, “He is yours to handle, there is no question. I’m not sure why you do not wish to take our information or use our help, but that is your business as well. However, your father is my oldest and dearest friend, and I would be remiss to not share what we know. The ballistics point toward the Academy, which may not surprise you. As you know, the Academy is a neutral assassin organization, they do not take sides and will work for anyone. One moment they can send an assassin for you, the next day you could hire them to send one for me. They do not require motives to kill, only payment. I say this because as you also probably know, the families have their own assassins that work for them, so if you’re attempting to figure out if a family is behind this, I’m afraid your investigation just got a little more difficult.”

“Is this the extent of the information you had to share?”

“It is. I thought it best for you to be told in person, however, I should have known my son was not capable of even this simplest of tasks. I do apologize for wasting your time yesterday.”

“It is no worry,” Chanyeol said. “I do appreciate the information. I know my father means a lot to you. I will let him know you stopped by.”

“Please do. I’d wish to see him when the time is right. I hear he is still too ill to take visitors.”

“I’m afraid so, but I’m sure you will get your wish sooner rather than later.”

The elder Kim nodded and stood, Chanyeol standing with him to escort him to the door out of respect.

“You’ve grown so tall,” the elder Kim smiled with fondness. “Your father has always been so proud of you, and rightfully so. And you’re a father yourself, I hear, which is wonderful. Your family is very blessed. If only I could have such hopes for my own family.”

“I’m sure your son will provide you with plenty of grandchildren someday.”

“I do not hold my breath. Take care, Park Chanyeol. I look forward to our next meeting.”

“As do I,” Chanyeol said, bowing to his elder again as Junmyeon opened the door for the party to exit. The elder Kim left first with his advisor behind him, and Chanyeol tried to catch Jongdae’s gaze, but Jongdae bowed to Chanyeol without making eye contact and walked out, his advisor doing much the same, but only because Yixing’s eyes were on Jongdae the entire time.

Junmyeon closed the door and Chanyeol found himself pensive over the meeting that had transpired. He shook his head and leaned against the desk, facing Junmyeon who stood before him.

“Is it just me,” Chanyeol began, “Or did it seem like he purposely wanted to emasculate Jongdae in front of me?”

“That was awkward,” Junmyeon agreed. “It might have been his form of punishment for embarrassing him enough to make him have to come deal with the matter himself.”

“It’s weird. I grew up with that man in my life, and he never once treated Jongdae like that. He never treated anyone like that. I vividly remember him spoiling Jongdae rotten and treating him much like how my own father treats me.”

“I think a lot changed in that family after his daughter was killed about a year ago,” Junmyeon said.

Chanyeol nodded in agreement, and then changed the subject.

“What other meetings do I have lined up for the day?”

“You have a lunch meeting with one of the hotel investors and you have to review the plans of the new hotel. Everything else can wait or be pushed out as necessary.”

“I literally have no idea what I’m supposed to do at this meeting.”

“I have notes ready for you to review if you’d like to get started.”

Chanyeol sighed, hating all the homework and studying that came with covering for his father. They had so many business dealings that there was no way for him to keep them all straight.

He sat with Junmyeon at the desk and tried to take in the information that he gave him, but his mind kept drifting, and he thought again of the strange name that his father uttered that morning.

“Hey, quick question that has nothing to do with any of this,” Chanyeol interrupted.

“What is it?”

“This morning, my father kept repeating a name. Kyungsoo. Do we know anyone by that name?”

Junmyeon thought for a moment and shook his head.

“It doesn’t ring a bell, but I can look into it.”

“Please do,” Chanyeol said, and he tried to turn his attention back to the very uninteresting things he had to quickly learn about hotels.


	2. (Waxing Crescent)

Car rides with his father used to be moments that Jongdae looked forward to, but in the past year, they had become dreaded events that forced him to practice various breathing techniques to keep the panic attacks at bay.

He had expected his father to humiliate him in front of Chanyeol, but the extent had been far worse than he had hoped, and he had no choice but to stand there and take it, wishing that he could disappear from that moment and the rest of his existence.

Now he sat in the car, prepared for the next verbal beratement that would come. Yixing sat across from him in the limo, and Jongdae stared out the window to avoid the look of concern on his face. He should have been used to it by now, but all it did was remind him that he had no control over anything in his life and that his own advisor felt nothing but pity for him.

“Delivering information is never difficult,” his father began. “I don’t know how you failed at that.”

The car pulled away from the Park estate property and Jongdae thought back to the happy and optimistic times he used to have there. He practically grew up in that home, more so than in his own, spending all his time playing with Chanyeol and dreaming about the lives they would have. Now they were both stuck living the lives they had hoped to avoid, only Chanyeol somehow had figured out how to fit the part with ease after all. Then again, if Jongdae thought hard about it, he could see how Chanyeol did always like being the leader of a situation, always the more dominant of the two friends in their relationship.

“Do you have nothing to say for yourself?” His father asked.

He didn’t. What could he say? He failed at delivering information. It had already been said.

“You will answer me when I speak to you,” his father’s voice boomed, and Jongdae flinched at the unexpected sound.

Jongdae took a deep breath, feeling his heart race, and he didn’t face his father as he answered.

“I failed at delivering information. I will work on improving that skill.”

“It’s a skill a newborn is even born with,” his father scolded.

Perhaps sensing that a conversation with his son would not continue to ensue in the manner he wanted, his father turned his attention instead to discussing business matters with his advisor.

Jongdae worked on his breathing techniques, holding every emotion he felt inside, from the sadness to the anger to the complete belief that he had stopped existing some time ago.

When they arrived back at their own estate, Jongdae opened the door before the car had barely stopped, making his rapid exit from the presence of his father as he hurried into the house.

In stark contrast to the Park home, which still felt warm and loving, the Kim dwelling, which once had felt much the same, had become a cold and dark shell of a house, inhabited by ghosts and people that had stopped living almost a year ago when his sister had been caught in the crossfire of an ambush at one of his family’s businesses.

Jongdae knew he would never recover from losing the most important person in his life, the one person that stood up for him and protected him at all costs, but he hadn’t known at the time that losing his sister had meant losing the warm parents he had grown up with as well.

He supposed that’s how life worked. He could think of no other perspective in rationalizing it.

“Breathe,” he heard Yixing’s voice behind him as he entered his room.

Jongdae tried to rip off his suit jacket and the accompanying tie, which felt as if it was strangling him.

“Breathe,” Yixing said again as he helped him lose both, then he unbuttoned the top of Jongdae’s shirt to help him out even more.

Jongdae bent over, placing his hands on his knees as he wheezed for a few moments, Yixing’s hand rubbing circles on his back in a placating gesture that helped Jongdae to calm down and regulate his breathing after a few moments.

When Jongdae had been instructed to choose his own advisor, someone he could trust more than anyone else, he knew without doubt that the right person would be Yixing.

They had met in college by happenstance, sitting beside each other in a Biology lecture during Jongdae’s sophomore year. Yixing was a couple of years older, a tall boy with sleepy eyes and a relaxed demeanor, who struggled a bit with the subject, partially due to the language barrier having come from overseas. He’d often ask Jongdae to clarify something the professor had said, and Jongdae enjoyed the boy’s company enough to offer tutoring lessons for him.

Jongdae loved Biology, taking the class as early as he could though he knew he had many more to come with the medical degree he was pursuing. And one day, while Jongdae was explaining molecular structure to Yixing, he caught Yixing staring at him with a smile on his face, and Jongdae laughed and asked him why he was smiling.

“You’re so into this,” Yixing explained. “Your whole face lights up when you’re talking about it.”

Jongdae had shrugged and laughed a bit self-conscious of the observation, then explained, “It’s just interesting to think about how this is what makes us who we are. These little cells and their little parts are inside of us and making us live, and if something goes wrong, they all gang up together and fight to fix it. They’re like a family.”

Yixing had smiled even wider after the explanation, shaking his head and letting out a soft laugh.

“What?” Jongdae had asked again, wanting to be in on the joke.

“You’re just so cute,” Yixing had said. “You’re like a plush toy that people hug and keep on their bed. Is there anything that ever brings you down?”

Jongdae had lost a bit of his smile then but he had shrugged and shaken his head at the time, simply saying, “We should get back to studying.”

When Jongdae had lost Chanyeol as the only best friend he had ever had, he never thought he’d find a replacement, but he had found an even better one. Yixing was never trying to compete with Jongdae, or get more attention than him. He liked to hang out with him, sometimes in peaceful silence, where they both would get lost in their thoughts and not feel the need to say a word to each other. Yixing calmed Jongdae, and after Jongdae’s sister died, calm is what Jongdae had craved the most.

***

Dinner with his parents was a part of the daily Kim family routine that had not changed because of his sister’s death.

It was his mother who had insisted on trying to keep what was left of the family together by continuing this tradition, and each passing day of the year, the dinner became more and more unbearable.

On evenings like this when Jongdae did not care to be in the same room as his father, he did not make it a point to show up on time, regardless of how much Yixing insisted that he be on time to not elicit more verbal punishment from his father.

But Jongdae didn’t care. His father’s verbal abuse on this day would be no different than yesterday or tomorrow. It was a pattern that wouldn’t be broken.

When he did arrive in the dining room, his father and mother were both eating their dinner in silence.

He sat at the table and the maid poured him a glass of wine. He instructed her to leave the bottle with him, knowing it’d be one of those nights.

“The duck is excellent,” his mother said, and she offered him an encouraging smile. “I think you will enjoy it.”

“If it goes good with this wine, then I will,” Jongdae said, not meaning to sound snarky to his mother, but not able to control his tone either.

“Another liquid dinner then?” His father mentioned, the distaste already pouring from his words.

Jongdae watched his mother’s eyes turn downcast. She knew this dinner had already been spoiled.

“Liquid courage is real. It should help me with my meetings tomorrow,” Jongdae threw back.

“Please,” his mother said looking at her husband. “Not tonight. I want us to eat in peace.”

The maid set his plate in front of him, the duck covered in a creamy sauce that looked like it might complement the wine well. He wished he had an appetite. He used to eat anything in sight and still have room for seconds. Instead he took another sip of his wine.

“I don’t see why we wouldn’t be eating in peace,” his father said, taking another bite of his duck.

“You’ll never believe who I ran into while shopping today,” his mother said, looking too expectant, which made Jongdae’s nerves start to rattle, “Yoona.”

Jongdae picked his glass back up and finished the contents in one long swig.

“She’s as beautiful as ever, even more beautiful if possible,” his mother soldiered on, even though her voice wavered at the sight of Jongdae’s actions. “She says she misses you.”

Jongdae didn’t bother refilling the glass, he knew the rest would come straight from the bottle.

“I’m sure she also misses her pet rabbit that died when she was six,” Jongdae smarted.

“Jongdae, please. It’s been long enough. You should try and reconnect with her. It would do you some good to have her back in your life.”

“Would it really?”

“You never even really broke up with her. You just drifted away from her.”

“It happens. I’m sure she’s moved on or will soon.”

“You haven’t touched your food,” his mother then pointed out.

“I’m not that hungry.”

“You need to eat,” his father announced.

“I’ll have a good breakfast to make up for it,” Jongdae said, getting up from his seat and grabbing the bottle. “I need to study for tomorrow’s meetings. This has been fun, as always.”

Jongdae’s mother addressed the maid and told her to make sure his food was taken up to his room for him.

He appreciated that she did this, since he did tend to find himself with more of an appetite after he had been studying and preparing for meetings.

He went to his office and pulled up the endless spreadsheets of boring financial numbers that still didn’t make much sense to him after all these months. He knew that if he could apply some of his former passion for learning to this endeavor, it would go smoother, but he couldn’t find it in him to be as fascinated by numbers and money as he had been about molecular-level givers of life.

***

Like all the other members of his family, Jongdae had learned to shoot a gun early in his life. He found the gun range on his family’s property to be a soothing place, which was a recent development. Prior to his new role, he hadn’t cared much for it, knowing the importance of it, but hoping he never had to use the skill.

But now it calmed him to take aim at something and try to hit the target. He could focus solely on this task, and see the instant ramifications of his successes or failures. He had gotten better at it over the last few months, and he did now feel confident that if necessary, he could hit his target exactly where he wanted. Whether or not he’d have the guts to pull the trigger if needed, was a different problem altogether.

He shot enough rounds to empty the barrel and refilled it with expert quickness, pointing at his target again and finishing the pattern he had begun on his target.

“In another life, you could have been an assassin,” their head security said, always accompanying Jongdae to the range to instruct him further if necessary.

“Ironic,” Yixing mentioned, also always accompanying Jongdae to the range, though through no interest for the activity. Usually he sat and read through things on his phone while waiting for Jongdae to finish.

“Maybe our family’s assassin and I can trade places then,” Jongdae stated, lining up his next shot. 

He knew from his partial medical studies the right places to shoot a person to cause the least amount of agony. He figured that if he had to finally pull the trigger, he could be as kind about it as possible.

For a moment his mind left him, and images of his sister flashed in his head. They weren’t images he had witnessed, but instead images he had imagined of that day his sister had lost her life. He knew from the coroner’s report each spot a bullet had entered, and his only consolation came in knowing that her life had ended quick enough for the pain she felt to be brief.

He also knew from his studies how to make his own pain brief if he ever found the courage to join his sister. He stared at his target as his hands held his gun steady, and he considered what it would be like to finally face the gun toward himself and pull the trigger. His hands seemed to think his mind had presented him with a challenge, because he did turn the gun, and placed the muzzle at an angle against his head that he knew would avoid the more survivable parts of the brain. He had read many case studies of people that had survived shots to the head, but at this angle, his chances of survival were diminished.

“Jongdae!” Yixing yelled out, but Jongdae was too lost in his thoughts to react.

He wanted to know that he could do it. There had to be a part of him that would, but he wouldn’t find out on that day.

Their head of security pulled the gun from his grasp, removing the bullets quicker than Jongdae could process that he no longer held the gun.

Yixing held Jongdae by the shoulders and stared at him, his eyes frightened.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Yixing asked, slightly shaking him.

“I wasn’t going to do it,” Jongdae told him and he looked at their head of security who seemed as scared as Yixing. “I wasn’t.”

“We should take a break from this,” the older man said.

“Don’t tell my dad,” Jongdae warned him, but he already knew the man would. He reported to his father, and withholding information would not be an option for him.

“Come on,” Yixing said, grabbing Jongdae’s forearm and dragging him away from the range.

They walked side by side through the grounds of the estate, making their way back toward the main house past the gardens that still bloomed even when nothing else at their home did. He and Mina used to spend a lot of their time in the gardens, playing or reading or sometimes talking when one or the other had a lot on their mind.

Out of all the things he missed most about his sister, talking to her was the biggest.

“I don’t know what that was about,” Yixing mentioned as they got closer to the house. “But you need to not do that again.”

“I won’t,” Jongdae told him. “I was just thinking about something.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“How my sister died.”

Yixing stopped walking and took a hold of Jongdae’s forearm again.

“You can’t do that,” Yixing said, shaking his head. “You can’t do that to yourself.”

“I can do whatever I want.”

“No. She wouldn’t have wanted that. And she wouldn’t have wanted this either. You need to respect her memory and live your life.”

“I said I wasn’t going to do it,” Jongdae snapped.

“Is everything alright?” Jongdae’s mother asked, surprising both him and Yixing as they looked to see her walking toward them.

Yixing let go of Jongdae’s arm and bowed to his mother stating, “Everything’s fine.”

“I came to find you,” she said to Jongdae, not looking convinced by Yixing’s words, but accepting them. “Minseok has stopped by and wanted to speak with you. He said he’d wait for you in your room.”

Jongdae sighed, not in the mood to see anyone, not even his closest cousin. He walked past his mom without saying a word and made his way to his room with Yixing close behind.

***

Minseok had made himself at home in Jongdae’s bed, laying down as he played on his phone, and Jongdae attempted to not be suspicious. After his failures, it was likely his father had sent Minseok to him for a reason.

“Why are you here?” Jongdae asked him.

“To make your life miserable obviously,” Minseok said, tapping a few things on his phone before sitting up and looking at him. “You look horrible.”

“I have a lot to do today.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here. We have a meeting in less than an hour. You don’t look ready.”

Jongdae narrowed his eyes and looked at Yixing for confirmation.

“That wasn’t on our agenda,” Yixing said to Minseok.

“Well it is now. Your dad decided to handle the meeting with the Choi family himself today. He instructed me to take you instead to my meeting with one of our assassination attempt leads.”

Jongdae’s stomach sank, knowing well what that would mean. He’d have to stand by while watching Minseok make someone talk, and Minseok could always make someone talk. Even though Jongdae was small for his size, his cousin always seemed to be smaller, but in reality they were the same height with Jongdae having the slimmer frame. Unlike Jongdae who had always tried to keep the peace with bullies growing up, Minseok had no issues getting into fistfights with them and quickly earned a reputation in school for his aggressive behavior.

When Minseok became overeager in a middle school brawl and broke the arm and collarbone of a fellow student, he was expelled by the school and his family sent him to a boarding school known for its harsh disciplinary style. The desired effect had been achieved and Minseok’s role in the family was cemented. However, when not in the business of hurting people, Minseok was really quite kind hearted and rather fun to be around. Jongdae had always wanted to know how his cousin’s on and off switch worked.

“Let Jongdae skip it and just tell his dad that we went,” Yixing said to Minseok with a hint of a pleading tone.

“And then we’d all have to deal with my uncle’s anger,” Minseok said, waving off the idea as he stood up. “I’ll just go light on the guy. Get dressed.”

Jongdae put no thought or effort into what he changed into as he prepared for this unexpected activity of the day. He used to put too much thought into what he wore, and now he found it odd that he had spent so much time doing so. What had been the point?

“I need to get my gun back from security,” Jongdae mentioned to Yixing as he made the motion to put it in the holster inside the back of his pants.

“We’re not getting that back today,” Yixing told him, patting him on the back as he nudged him out the door.

“You don’t carry. If there’s an ambush…”

“Minseok will take care of it,” Yixing told him. “Just duck and roll. That’s my plan of action if that should ever happen.”

Of course his cousin would take care of it. It seemed that everyone in his family had been born with the gene to take care of things, except for him.

***

Minseok’s office for the day was a seedy motel room that Jongdae was sure had only fleas and rats as inhabitants.

His cousin knocked on the door in a rapid stream of five knocks, and the door opened, allowing the three men in as they were greeted by the smell of insect spray and stale cigarettes.

Their security stood guard by the door as a middle-aged man who looked nervous and jittery sat on the solitary queen-sized bed in the room.

“Did you enjoy your rest?” Minseok asked him.

“I already told your men that I have no information. I wasn’t with the guy. I don’t know the guy.”

“But it’s weird, right?” Minseok asked as he sat beside him and placed a hand on the man’s knee as if an old friend. “How you just so happened to open that gate to let him so easily escape?”

“I opened the gate because I needed to take some boxes out. I didn’t know what was happening!”

“So convenient,” Minseok said, patting his knee.

Jongdae sighed, hoping this didn’t take too long.

“I swear,” the man said again, and then he looked at Jongdae. “Please! I ship things for a living. I’m constantly using that gate for my business. I never even lock it because of this, even though the neighborhood is not good.”

“You call this a lead?” Jongdae asked Minseok.

“What would you call it?” Minseok asked back.

“A shipping guy at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“What makes you believe him?”

“Because I’m telling the truth,” the man cried out, and Minseok brought his elbow down hard onto the man’s leg, causing the man to yelp out in pain.

Jongdae closed his eyes momentarily and then opened them to look back at his cousin and answer him, “If he was working with the assassin, then he would have just told the assassin that his gate was never locked.”

“So you’re buying the shipping story?” Minseok asked.

“I’m buying the shipping story.”

“Well if the mini boss says he buys your shipping story, then I guess I gotta let you go.”

“Thank you,” the man said standing up, holding his leg that still seemed to pain him. He hobbled to Jongdae and fell to his knees. “Thank you. I will repay you for this. Please let me know what you need from me. My business is ready to serve the great Kim family.”

“I’m sure my advisor can provide you with a list of things we’d like shipped,” Jongdae said for a lack of a better thing to say.

“Yes, of course,” the man said bowing.

“Can we leave now?” Jongdae asked Minseok, who snorted and got up from the bed, leading the way out.

Once they were back in the car, Jongdae turned to Minseok and asked, “What was the point of that exactly? Was that really our only lead?”

“We get leads every day. I have to check them all out.”

“Have any leads checked out?”

“Not a one. Not that I thought any would. If your father’s right, and the Academy is behind this, then we’ll probably never figure it out.”

“I don’t understand why we don’t infiltrate the Academy and find out.”

“Infiltrate how exactly?” Minseok asked. “They don’t even have a location. They just exist.”

“This is stupid,” Jongdae said with frustration, not able to handle his family’s business dealings and not able to figure out who wanted his father dead.

“It is,” his cousin agreed. “I still go back to it being the Wu family though. We were in the middle of a war with them when it happened.”

A war that Jongdae had bitterly wanted them to win. It was the Wu family that had ambushed their business and been responsible for his sister’s death, and while his father said he would stop at nothing to make them pay, a ceasefire was reached after the assassination attempts on his father’s and the elder Park’s lives.

Jongdae’s father had told the family that they needed to regroup because they were being hit on too many sides, and things were becoming chaotic. But all Jongdae wanted to do was make sure the Wu family suffered the way their family had.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Jongdae said.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Yixing interjected. “The Wu family would have to be stupid to hire an assassin in the middle of the war. Obviously we would think it was them and come after them and they wouldn’t take that chance knowing they had already made a mistake in accidentally killing Mina. They were trying to make a statement with that ambush, not start a war. Our family is more powerful than theirs. We have them on the defensive. They wouldn’t sign their own death certificate by an assassination attempt.”

“I don’t know if I buy that,” Minseok said. “Maybe they didn’t mean to start a war, but when they did, they probably knew they might as well finish it.”

“Because that’s what you would have done,” Yixing pointed out. “Also, as I’ve mentioned to the elder Kim’s advisor, it doesn’t make sense that the assassin came from The Academy. I know that’s the driving motivator here, but historically speaking, there’s no way The Academy would ever have an assassin that would fail, not once, but twice in a row with his assignment. This isn’t an Academy-level assassin we’re dealing with.”

“Unless it was two different assassins,” Minseok pointed out.

“Two from The Academy and they both happened to fail?” Yixing asked Minseok with a tone that suggested he think hard about what he had said.

“Anything is possible,” Minseok shrugged.

“Where are we going?” Jongdae asked, starting to sense the familiarity of his surroundings.

“Red,” Minseok told him. “You need to get out of the house, and I know it’s been too long since you’ve had the best food in any of our restaurants.”

“I’m not hungry,” Jongdae said, “And I should get back home.”

“Not happening,” Minseok shook his head. “And we really need to get your appetite back. This whole you not eating thing is just weird.”

Jongdae took a deep breath and said nothing, staring out the window as they drew closer to the restaurant.

He had nothing but fond memories of what many people considered to be the best restaurant in the city. His father had fallen in love with the food the chef had created at his own restaurant and offered him a huge amount to be the head chef of the Kim’s flagship restaurant. Many family events had been celebrated there, and Jongdae always joined his father in ordering the imported wagyu steak that was so tender it melted in his mouth.

His stomach grumbled at the memory, and he felt hunger creep up, but the idea of ordering a favorite dish that he had in common with his father made him soon lose his appetite.

They arrived and were promptly seated at a table toward the back per Minseok’s request.

“I figured you would want some privacy,” Minseok explained to Jongdae as they settled in and were poured wine just as the napkins were placed on their laps by the waiters.

“I do want privacy. Preferably the solitary kind that takes place in my room.”

“This new life of yours is so weird,” Minseok said. “You were always a people person, and now you’re a hermit. And I get it, I know why, but it’s still weird.”

“He’s depressed,” Yixing said. “It’ll take some time for him to start being the person you remember.”

“Can we not talk about me?” Jongdae snapped, looking over the menu for an item he could pretend to ingest.

“I’m ordering us scallops for an appetizer,” Minseok said.

“Why doesn’t this restaurant have normal food?” Yixing sighed. “Like noodles. We could have just picked up noodles somewhere.”

“He’s trying to play on my emotions,” Jongdae stated, “Bringing me to a place he knew I once had happy memories at. You and my mother must have had quite the conversation.”

“It wasn’t as conspiratorial as you’d like to believe,” Minseok relented. He told the waiter to bring them scallops and took a sip of his wine, observing Jongdae for a moment before continuing. “She’s worried about you. We all are. You can’t blame her for wanting you to be okay.”

“So it was her idea to have me spend the day with you?”

“Not exactly, but I told her I’d try and help.”

“You can help by taking my place.”

Minseok let out a soft laugh and shook his head.

“You know neither of us have any control over that. Your dad makes that decision, and he wants it to be his own blood.”

“He lost his own blood,” Jongdae remarked. “You’re the next closest.”

“Stop talking about yourself like you died too,” Yixing scolded. “You may not like this situation, but it is a powerful situation, and there is a lot you can do with it. Maybe you’re not saving people the way you thought, but maybe you can save people in another way.”

“Your advisor is wise,” Minseok said. “You should listen to him.”

Minseok hadn’t liked the idea of Yixing becoming Jongdae’s advisor at first, claiming that he was an outsider and therefore incapable of the loyalty required to be part of the family. His father had agreed with Minseok and had berated Jongdae for the choice, but out of pure rebellion, Jongdae had stuck with his decision, and in the past few months, both his father and cousin had become more accepting of Yixing, even if neither of them still completely trusted him.

“I don’t care to save people anymore,” Jongdae said. “You can’t save people anyway. Everyone ends up dying eventually.”

“To the new philosophy of Jongdae,” Minseok said, raising his wine glass, “So optimistic.”

Jongdae ignored his cousin’s sarcasm, but did drink his wine, needing it to steel himself for whatever would come next that day.

The restaurant began to fill up as those with dinner reservations arrived, and Jongdae had settled on the fish special of the day, knowing his mother would enjoy the leftovers.

“Well since you’re in a shitty mood anyway,” Minseok began as he started in on the scallops the waiter had brought them. “I heard things didn’t go that well with the Parks when you visited.”

“And why are you bringing that up?”

“To try and help you. You know your dad is going to keep sending you back there to deal with them. The way he sees it, you and Chanyeol used to be close so you’ll have no problems keeping the relations between our families on good terms.”

“Used to be,” Jongdae pointed out for him. “We are no longer friends.”

“You guys didn’t have a falling out,” Minseok said. “You just drifted apart. Kind of like you and Yoona.”

“Exactly how long was this conversation you had with my mother?”

“The point is, maybe what you need to work on is reconciling your friendship with Chanyeol.”

“I can’t believe those words came out of your mouth. You never even liked him.”

“I’m not saying it for my own benefit. I’m saying it because good relations with our only real allies is important. Your dad is close with his dad. With his dad out of the picture right now, you have to make sure that doesn’t get destroyed.”

“Why exactly does the elder Kim think that might happen?” Yixing asked.

“He’s not sure it will,” Minseok explained, “But he sent Jongdae first to test the waters. When that didn’t go well, he went in to check the situation out for himself. He doesn’t like the hesitation on Chanyeol’s part to work together to find the assassin, but he can’t figure out why the hesitation exists. He wants you to figure it out and repair any damage between the families the attempted assassinations may have inadvertently caused.”

“It’s not going to happen,” Jongdae stated.

Minseok sighed and placed down his fork, leaning back against his chair as he appeared to analyze Jongdae.

“You keep saying we should trade places. How about I tell you what I would do in this situation, and you do that?”

“You would tell the Park family to go screw themselves and not bother dealing with them again.”

“If I was in charge, yes, but if I was taking orders from your dad, I would go in there and have an honest conversation with him. Ask him how we could repay whatever offense he feels we may have committed. Butter him up and make him feel like the king of the universe. That’s all Chanyeol ever wanted anyway.”

Chanyeol’s superiority complex and need for constant attention had always driven Minseok a bit crazy, but Jongdae attributed their lack of affinity for each other more to their common qualities of hard headedness and being judgmental toward the other’s personalities without ever truly getting to know the other.

Jongdae did know that Minseok was right about his analysis of Chanyeol, but he also knew the other side of Chanyeol, how his insecurities is what drove his need for attention and how his shame for what his family did drove his need to prove himself as something better. Chanyeol may look like he fit the part at the moment, but Jongdae had a feeling that Chanyeol was not pleased with his current situation.

“Why don’t you go then?” Jongdae said, finishing his wine, which was immediately refilled by the waiter the moment Jongdae had placed the glass down. “I’ll do what my father did and send you in my place.”

“Then we’ll be at war with the Parks in no time,” Yixing sighed. “An honest conversation would not be the worst idea. I didn’t care for how he spoke to you or treated you either time we visited. You need to make him treat you like an equal, or at least as someone who soon will be.”

“That’s impossible. Even when we were friends he didn’t treat me as an equal. I was just his sidekick for all his crazy ideas.”

“I see your memory disappeared along with your personality,” Minseok said, looking upset by Jongdae’s words. “You were his best friend just as he was yours. You were both as equally as obnoxious and took turns coming up with ways you both could make everyone miserable. It was an equal relationship. You should be able to use some of that history to get close enough and keep our families’ relationship strong.”

“Amazing,” Jongdae said, cocking his head a tiny bit as he looked at his cousin. “Who did you spend longer talking about me with? My mother or my father?”

“This isn’t a conspiracy against you,” Minseok defended again. “Everyone’s trying to do what they can.”

“Except me,” Jongdae added on for him, knowing that even if he hadn’t intended to say it, he certainly was thinking it.

Minseok leaned forward, placing his hands on the table as he clasped them together and leaned in to speak directly to Jongdae.

“I miss Mina too. I had never felt the pain that I felt that day that I found out what had happened. I can’t imagine how you felt because I know it had to be a million times worse. Your father, your mother, you, all of you shut down after that day, but your father knew he had a responsibility to the family, and he had to keep going. Your mother knew that she had to keep going because she still had you. You’re the only one that hasn’t figured out that he has to keep going. That’s why these conversations keep happening about you.”

“You’re stuck in this situation whether you like it or not,” Yixing stated. “So what is it that you want to do as the next in line? If your father told you to make the next call for the family, what would it be?”

Jongdae knew the answer without having to think about it. He couldn’t care less about their businesses or making sure their ties with the Park family were strong.

“I want the Wu family to go down,” he stated.

“We all do,” Minseok said, “But we don’t have the resources right now. We lost our best bodyguard and some really good muscle, guys that I considered brothers because of how well they mentored me and trained me. We have to rebuild before we take the Wu family out.”

“Or we could send our assassin to take out the elder Wu’s only son,” Jongdae said, and both Minseok and Yixing stared at him in disbelief. “I want the elder Wu to go through what we’ve gone through.”

“You need to take ten steps back with that dangerous train of thought,” Minseok said.

“If you do that,” Yixing warned, “Then you’ll get us all killed. That’s a war that will never end. It’ll be constant bloodshed with each side taking turns killing whoever they can.”

“You’re not thinking about the family,” Minseok said with frustration. “You’re thinking only about yourself and your hurt feelings. Do you know what your job as head of the family is supposed to be? To protect the family. Protect. So long as you keep putting your anger before the well-being of the family, you’ll just keep proving your dad right about you not being able to do the job.”

“You didn’t have to say that like that,” Yixing said to Minseok.

“He needs to hear it.”

Their food was brought to them and Jongdae stared at his fish plate, the sight of food suddenly revolting.

“I’d like this to go,” Jongdae said to the waiter, and the waiter bowed as he picked the plate back up.

“Might as well make them all to go,” Minseok said, making a motion with his hand toward all the plates. “It seems the mini boss has lost his appetite, yet again.”

The other waiters came to take the plates and Jongdae focused on drinking his new glass of wine, his nerves close to being shattered once more by the words he had heard today. His father was smart and knew that Jongdae would tolerate hearing his words come from his cousin instead of himself. It was interesting to him how his father seemed to need other people so much to do the very things he accused Jongdae of being incapable of doing.

***

Jongdae had a habit of visiting Mina when he felt lonely. He’d bring her stargazer lilies from their estate’s garden, since she had always claimed those as hers when they’d play there, and sit and speak to her until his bodyguard indicated that he needed to return home.

He set the flowers down before her tomb and sat in front of it, taking in the orange and yellow gladiolus that had already been set there by a visitor. Mina had left so many friends behind, and it never surprised Jongdae that people still came to visit her. He knew his sister was missed by many, but in his mind, no one missed her more than he did. He had taken it personally that she had left him alone in this world, and sometimes he tried to hate her for it, but he found it impossible to do so.

They had always been close. Even though she had only been a couple years older than him, she had instantly taken a protective role over him, and Jongdae had accepted it, even as he got older and could fend for himself.

“Are you ready to take me with you?” He asked her. Growing up, he firmly believed in heaven and the afterlife, thinking that good deeds would be rewarded. Now he couldn’t believe it.

“I thought about you today and thought about how I could join you in the same way, but it didn’t happen. So you left me here alone and won’t even take me with you. You’re so selfish.”

He wanted her to talk back to him, but all he could do was guess at what her answers would be. She would tell him to stop talking like that and to go take over the family and make her proud. The firm knowledge of that within him kept him from running away and disappearing from his family. He didn’t want to take over for his father, but he would do it. He only needed to figure out how to start being better at it.

“So I have a serious question for you,” Jongdae asked her. The day was not a chilly one, but not a warm one either. If there had been a breeze, he may have felt the need for a sweater. Or perhaps he had gotten so used to the coldness of his house that the temperature outside felt adequate. “If you wanted to take out the Wu family’s only son, would you get the family assassin to do it, or would you do it yourself?”

He paused, knowing an answer would not be revealed, but giving it time to do so regardless.

“You’d probably want to do it yourself, but you’d get the assassin to do it for you,” Jongdae concluded. “That poses a problem though because I can’t get the assassin to do anything without our father finding out. So I think I might have to do it myself. I’ve been getting really good at hitting my targets exactly where I want them. My range has gotten farther as well. You’d be quite proud.”

He paused again, the silence of the cemetery accompanying him in his loneliness.

“Things are really bad. So bad,” he said, his eyes turning downcast at the soft green grass he sat upon. “My panic attacks are getting worse, and I don’t know how to stop them. I want to be stronger, but I feel myself getting weaker. Can’t you help me?”

Jongdae looked up at the clear sky, beginning to lose its blue hue as the sun began its descent.

“Just help me. You’re in another world now, and maybe you have super powers in that world. Or maybe you’re the head of a family up there and can grant wishes. If you still love me and care about me, send me help. I can’t do this.”

Jongdae bowed his head as his tears began to fall, always the outcome of his talks with his dead sister. He always asked her to either take his life or to help him, but she had never done either.

***

When Jongdae woke up the next morning with the command to see his father in his office, he knew what would come next. Yixing attempted to prepare him by insisting that he keep his cool and that it would be over soon, but it did nothing to calm his nerves. He walked at a normal pace, sure that it would make no difference if he hurried or stalled.

The bodyguard outside of the office let him in, and Jongdae took in the look on his father’s face as he bowed to him in greeting. Disappointment was not the right word, but Jongdae couldn’t figure out what exactly the look was behind the anger that masked it.

“What happened at the gun range yesterday?” His father assaulted with rage in his tone.

Jongdae glanced at the head of security who stood to the side beside his father’s advisor. He did appear to look apologetic. Jongdae turned his attention back to his father.

“Nothing happened.”

“Do not lie to me,” his father said, standing up and coming out from behind his desk in a way that felt so intimidating that Jongdae almost took a couple steps back.

“I’m not lying. Nothing happened. I was joking around and the joke was taken too seriously. Out of precaution, I’m sure. Our head of security acted correctly, even if his assumption was wrong.”

“I’d believe it were a joke if you were still capable of one,” his father remarked. “Killing yourself is a cowardly act.”

“Then I’m sorry I disappointed you for not being a coward.”

“Do not speak to me in a mocking tone. And do not flatter yourself. I’m sure the only thing that kept you from pulling that trigger was respect for your mother.”

“You’re right,” Jongdae confirmed for him. “And I promise you, the moment she’s no longer with us, will be the moment that I end my life.”

Jongdae saw his father’s arm rise, but never in his lifetime did he expect that the trajectory would be forward and that his father’s large hand would strike against the side of his face with such a force to knock him straight to the ground.

Too stunned to process the act, Jongdae held his face and stared at the intricate patterns of the rug, attempting to understand why he was close enough to notice them.

“Are you okay?” Yixing asked him, crouching beside him with scared eyes as he attempted to help Jongdae up.

Jongdae couldn’t answer. He accepted Yixing’s help as he got back to his feet and his hand remained over the sharp sting from the left side of his face. He looked at his father in disbelief.

For his part, his father seemed as stunned as Jongdae felt, and Jongdae decided that maybe the act of his father hitting him for the first time ever in his life had been shocking to the both of them.

His father uttered no words as Jongdae turned to leave, and he walked back to his room, convinced that he had made it all up.

However, when moments passed and Yixing applied a cold washcloth to Jongdae’s face, the confirmation stung all over again, and he winced as his eyes squeezed shut.

“I’m sorry,” Yixing said. “I’ll try to be more gentle.”

“It’s okay,” Jongdae said, his voice barely audible above a whisper as he opened his eyes again.

He couldn’t look at Yixing, the embarrassment and humiliation of what had just happened washed over him, and he wanted to hide in a hole and disappear yet again.

“He didn’t used to hate me,” Jongdae tried to explain as he looked down at his hands.

“I know,” Yixing said, “I’ve known you long enough to remember.”

“I’m going to kill the elder Wu’s only son.”

Jongdae looked to see Yixing staring at him.

“As your advisor…”

“I don’t care,” Jongdae cut him off. “I need to prove to my father that I am capable of being the man he needs me to be.”

“You’re not going to do that by restarting this war and making things worse.”

“Someone has to pay for Mina, and this is something she would have done herself.”

“Your sister was reckless, but she was also calculating when she needed to be. She would not have done this.”

“You didn’t know her that well.”

“I knew her well enough. Your sister’s strong personality wasn’t easy to ignore. She was sharp, and she would have come up with a way to handle this situation that would put an end to it. Until you come up with that type of solution, I advise you against taking any action against the Wu family.”

“Then as my advisor, it’s your job to help me come up with that solution. Will you?”

Yixing looked at Jongdae, the uncertainty flickering in his eyes as he thought of the answer to the question Jongdae has posed.

Then Yixing nodded slowly, as he continued to look at Jongdae.

“Of course,” he said. “If that’s what you’re really asking me to do.”

“That’s what I’m really asking you to do.”

“Then I’ll think on a suitable solution,” Yixing said, and he turned his attention to the side of Jongdae’s face, removing the washcloth to assess the damage. “That’s going to leave a mark, but it should go away soon. I wouldn’t take any meetings until it does.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just get more practice in at the range while it heals.”

Yixing said nothing and seemed disappointed as he stood, taking the washcloth away as he went to place it back in Jongdae’s bathroom.

Jongdae often wondered if Yixing regretted agreeing to be Jongdae’s advisor. Even after Jongdae had explained to him what it would entail and what it would mean for Yixing’s life, his friend had agreed to do it, stating that he would be there for whatever Jongdae needed, knowing that he was in a great deal of pain over the loss of his sister.

He knew he shouldn’t have asked him. It was a selfish decision on Jongdae’s part to bring his close friend into the mess of his family, but he had been desperate and despondent at the time he had asked. He owed Yixing more than he could ever give.

***

Jongdae should have skipped dinner that night, but he had gone down to the dining room out of habit, not realizing how immediately his mother would notice the mark upon his face.

“What happened to you?” She asked alarmed as she put her chopsticks down to pay more attention.

Jongdae said nothing and tried to turn his face a bit, as if he could make her believe she had seen nothing at all.

“Who did that to you?” She demanded.

He did not reply, choosing instead to stare at the rice and meat on his plate, suddenly thinking about how Mina would have enjoyed this meal. He realized that her favorite meal had not been prepared since her death, and he wondered if that had been an instruction from his parents or the kitchen staff retiring the dish out of respect. He also wondered if they’d make it just for him one night if he asked.

“Jongdae,” his mother said, “Answer me.”

“I did it,” his father said, and Jongdae snapped his attention to him, not having expected the confession.

“You?” His mother said, looking at her husband with disbelief. “You did this?”

“He said things that should not have been said,” his father began, but his mother cut him off, slamming her hand on the table.

“I don’t care what he said,” she told him. “This is unacceptable. Don’t you ever strike my son again. I swear to you, if you ever do, that will be the last time you have hands!”

His father said nothing and Jongdae stared at his mother, unsure of how to react.

“Please take my son’s food up to his room for him,” his mother instructed the maid. “He does not need to suffer through these pointless dinners anymore. None of us do. I hoped this would bring us back closer, but I see now how impossible that is.”

“You’re overreacting,” his father said, and his mother threw her husband a glare so harsh that the older man said nothing further.

Jongdae knew that his mother standing up for him would not reflect well in the eyes of his father. He would see it as another instance of Jongdae being too weak to stand up for himself. The failures of each day stacked up, and by the time he made it up to his room to eat the dinner the maid had brought up for him, he was bent over attempting to regain control of his breathing once again.

***

The head of security did not give Jongdae’s gun back to him with confidence, but Jongdae apologized to him and promised that he didn’t have to worry about it ever happening again. Yixing sat in his normal seat, watching him like a hawk to make sure he didn’t need to react once more.

He found his zone and took each shot with ease, his frustrations and stress packed into each bullet as it flew and hit its target exactly where Jongdae wanted. In fact, this had gotten too easy for him and Jongdae sighed and placed the gun down on the table before him to not worry his audience.

“Is it possible to move the target back further?” Jongdae asked the head of security.

The older man nodded and glanced at Yixing, who seemed to nod as if assuring him he’d keep watch on the situation.

Jongdae willed himself to not be annoyed by the sudden babysitting, and instead he thought about what an assassin would need to know to be successful at a hit. Precision was key, more importantly, the ability to be invisible had to be developed. He had always been too loud and energetic to even consider such a discipline, but given his current temperament, he could attempt it now.

“Something has your mind captivated,” Yixing observed.

“I was just thinking about things.”

“You were thinking about something specific.”

“Are you a mind reader all of a sudden?”

“It’s my job to be able to read you well.”

“I didn’t know your job entailed so many annoying things.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“You can guess correctly what I’m doing, but my secrets are my own.”

Yixing raised his eyebrow and the head of security returned, nodding to Jongdae to give the new distance a try.

Jongdae picked up his gun and aimed, feeling the challenge of what now appeared to be a smaller target. He pulled the trigger and cursed when he narrowly missed the intended destination.

“That’s really good for the first try,” the head of security said.

“Not good enough,” Jongdae said, and he aimed again.

***

Jongdae did his best to not leave the house, even though he hated being in it. When he and Yixing roomed together in college, they barely knew what their dorm looked like, spending all their time out at clubs or all night diners, talking about anything that came to their minds and enjoying the freedom they felt as they worked hard toward their goals.

“It’s an apology outing,” Minseok explained as he rummaged through Jongdae’s closet, finding him an outfit to wear for the night.

“I don’t want an apology outing,” Jongdae said, sitting on his bed with his laptop as he looked through more sets of boring spreadsheets.

“I owe you one so you’re getting one,” Minseok insisted, and he pulled a long-sleeved navy blue button down shirt from the closet. “This works.”

Yixing pulled the laptop away from Jongdae.

“It’ll do you good to get out of here,” he stated.

So he got dressed, against his own wishes, and Minseok fixed his hair for him when Jongdae tried and couldn’t find the energy to put in a good effort.

They headed to a family-owned nightclub, known more for its relaxed, luxurious feel and extensive bar selection than for the dancing and club atmosphere that other families owned. Jazz music enlivened the crowd and a dark red velvet booth waited for them. Jongdae slid into the darkest corner of it, thinking he could get away with a nap instead of interaction.

“Let’s start with something light before the mini boss gets wasted off the hard stuff,” Minseok commented, picking out a champagne selection for them.

Yixing ordered himself a water as well and a snack for the table.

“We have a driver,” Minseok joked with him.

“Just preparing myself for the inevitable helping drunk Jongdae to the car later,” Yixing sassed.

“I’m right here. You guys keep doing that,” Jongdae snapped.

“Make up your mind,” Minseok teased, “Do you want us to act like you exist or not?”

Jongdae sighed and put his head back against the seat, closing his eyes to ignore and tune out both. A jazz standard he used to like came on, and a series of memories attacked all at once.

One of the last times he had been at this nightclub was a week before Mina had died. They had sat in a booth more toward the center of the club, and the booth was full with the presence of himself, Yoona, Mina, Yixing, Minseok and a girl Minseok had been seeing at the time.

There had been a lot of laughter, Jongdae remembered, and he had been the center of it, loudly telling a story about an inept student that had caused a scene in one of his lectures. He had imitated both the student and the professor well, and his audience had fits of laughter that took several minutes to calm.

He remembered how beautiful Yoona looked that night, and how her and Mina would speak to each other as if in secret, even if they were discussing mundane things like a movie they wanted to see or when they would go shopping together next.

He had once loved his life, and he had taken it all for granted, never once expecting that his life would be anything but those carefree moments. 

“I was thinking you should pick up a hobby,” Minseok mentioned, and Jongdae hoped he was talking to Yixing so he didn’t have to open his eyes and converse.

“I think he fell asleep,” Yixing stated.

Jongdae sighed and opened his eyes, sitting up slightly to look at Minseok.

“I have a hobby.”

“What is it?”

“Target practice.”

“Yeah, I hear you’ve been getting really good at that. That’s not a hobby though. It’s part of your job.”

“I like it. That makes it a hobby.”

“You like it for all the wrong reasons,” Minseok pointed out. “You need a hobby you like for all the right reasons.”

“Like your hobby of street brawling?” Yixing said. “Or your hobby of finding random witnesses that aren’t real witnesses to practice your intimidation tactics on?”

“I have a real hobby,” Minseok pointed out. “I’m close to mastering the claw machine at the arcade. I almost got the last panda bear in the machine.”

The comment brought a painful memory back to Jongdae, and he closed his eyes again, willing the images to go away, but they came too rapidly to him.

Still in middle school, Jongdae had tagged along with Mina and some of her new friends she had made at her high school to an arcade, where the girls were hoping to see some of the boys from their class.

Jongdae had just wanted to play the games, and he occupied himself with a dancing game that he had gotten really good at.

When it was time for them to finally leave, Mina had refused until she had won something in the claw machine. The boy that she liked had offered to get it for her, but Mina laughed and told him to step back and watch her win. It took her several more tries, but she did end up winning something, and when the claw dropped the stuffed animal into the box, Mina snatched it and held it up in victory.

“Aw, you won me a gift,” the boy had joked with her and Mina laughed at him and shook her hair, the red streaks in her black hair as vivid in Jongdae’s mind now as it had been that day.

“Sorry, this is going to a boy more special than you,” she stated, and she handed the stuffed animal to Jongdae and said, “Look it’s a red panda for your collection.”

Jongdae had looked surprised as he took the cute stuffed animal from her and jumped up and down.

“I was missing a red panda,” he stated. Jongdae had no idea why he liked collecting cute stuffed animals so much, but his collection at that point had been pretty massive that it annoyed him the ones he couldn’t seem to acquire. “Thank you thank you thank you,” he said loudly, still jumping.

On the car ride home, they had discussed the right name for the red panda and decided it was a boy whose name was Ppalhan to differentiate between the traditional pandas in his collection.

Now Ppalhan lived in in a box in his closet with many of his other stuffed animals, while the majority of them were in a storage closet on the estate grounds, far from where he could let more memories assault him.

“I need a drink,” Jongdae said, opening his eyes and wanting to clear these memories from his mind.

“I just poured your champagne,” Minseok pointed out the full flute in front of him.

“I need a real drink,” Jongdae said, motioning for him to move.

Minseok got up from the booth to allow Jongdae out, and Jongdae ignored the looks of concern and disappointment on his cousin’s face as he passed by him to the bar.

He needed to breathe and move away from the claustrophobia of the table. He also needed to be distracted.

He asked the bartender for whiskey, which was provided swiftly, and he finished it with ease and asked for another.

“Jongdae?”

Jongdae would know that voice anywhere, though it mostly haunted him these days in his memories. He turned to face Yoona, who stood before him in a small black dress, her long hair flowing over her shoulders and a long teardrop necklace that sparkled even in the dim light of the club.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, the annoyance already rising in him that Minseok had pulled one over on him yet again. He wondered if his mother had been involved as well in this plan.

“I’m celebrating my friend’s birthday,” she said, her head slightly motioning toward an area where he supposed her friend was seated.

“Convenient,” he said, grabbing the new whiskey and taking a drink from it.

“How are you?” She asked, and he could tell by the look on her face that she knew the answer, but was being polite.

Jongdae drank the rest of his whiskey and motioned for the bartender to get him another one.

“Please,” Yoona said, taking a step forward and Jongdae glared at her, which caused her to take the step back. “I miss you,” she stated.

“You should move on,” he said, not wanting to look at her, but unable to take his eyes off her. She had always been captivating to him. “Find someone new.”

Yoona bit her lip as she looked at him, then she blinked.

“I have,” she stated, a hint of regret in her tone.

Jongdae stared at her, letting the words process in his mind. He felt hurt. He felt betrayed. He knew he had no right to feel the latter, but the pangs in his heart didn’t care. He felt pain.

“Good for you then,” he said, grabbing the refilled whiskey and turning away from her.

“Wait,” she said, and he turned to see her step forward again. “I want to help.”

He stared again, hating the look of worry on her face, hating that she didn’t even see him as an ex-boyfriend but as a pity case. He said nothing and turned away again, needing to find the safety of the booth again.

Yixing stood up when he saw Jongdae approach and reached his hand out, already sensing that there was trouble of some sort.

“What happened?”

“Minseok brought me here to lose my mind.”

“I didn’t,” Minseok said standing up, noticing that Jongdae probably looked shaken. “Sit down. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I just ran into Yoona,” Jongdae stated, not able to sit down. He felt on edge.

Minseok closed his eyes and uttered a curse word then shook his head.

“That was not planned. I swear to you,” he said. “I had no idea she’d be here.”

“It felt planned.”

“It wasn’t. I swear. Let’s get you out of here.”

“You want me to have a good night. Let’s drink the champagne and have a good night,” Jongdae said, pointing to the half-empty bottle.

Yixing took the drink out of Jongdae’s hand and put his arm around him as he started walking toward the exit.

“We’re going somewhere else,” Yixing said.

“Where are we going?” Jongdae asked. “Where can we possibly go that won’t make me want to wish I was home instead?”

“I know a place,” Minseok stated, leading the way.

***

Jongdae was grateful when they walked into a billiards hall that he had never been to in his life. It was in the basement of a building that housed a deli and a locksmith above it, and the bouncer at the door let them in without any hesitation.

The hall was lit just enough to allow visibility to play, otherwise it felt like a decent place to hide.

“Since you’re so into target practice these days,” Minseok said handing Jongdae a pool stick, “Let’s see how you do with this.”

Jongdae had never been great at billiards, especially when he was up against Minseok, but he took the stick and watched his cousin place the balls. Yixing sat on a barstool to watch and Minseok shook his head and handed him a cue stick as well.

“It’ll be more fun if I beat the both of you,” he explained.

“You still find it fun if it’s not challenging?” Yixing asked.

“Just humor me,” Minseok stated, chalking the point of his stick and motioning for Yixing to go first.

Yixing sent the balls scattering, but had no luck in his follow up.

“Your turn, mini boss,” Minseok said.

Jongdae did not see the point of this exercise, but he bent over the table to line up his shot, knowing that physics and geometry were involved and trying to calculate the correct angle.

He managed to hit the ball he aimed for and took aim once more, switching his angle to the side a bit, but still hitting his intended target. Perhaps the drive to get this over and done with made him concentrate a bit more and take better aim, or maybe he had luck on his side.

“You might not get a turn,” Yixing said to Minseok.

“This is a new development,” Minseok commented. “When did you get good at this?”

Jongdae ignored them and continued, thinking that now he had presented himself with a challenge that he’d have to overcome. He made it down to three balls on the table when he realized he had backed himself into a corner.

“There’s no way you’re going to get that,” Minseok pointed out. “Just put me in a good position to win.”

“Put him in a bad position,” Yixing countered, “So I can win the upset.”

“You won’t get a chance either way,” Minseok gloated.

Jongdae did not hit the target and he cursed, then cursed again when he put the ball in an easy position for Minseok to work with.

Minseok cleared the table and pointed to the both of them.

"Losers buy the winner drinks. I’ll take a soju.”

“This was a warm up,” Jongdae challenged, nodding to Minseok to re-rack the balls.

Minseok laughed and did as instructed.

“You’re going to suffer that humiliation again?” A young man asked, leaning against the neighboring pool table as he looked at them, with his arms crossed and his eyebrow raised.

“What humiliation?” Minseok asked. “I won.”

“After he did all the work,” the man said nodding toward Jongdae and Jongdae momentarily wondered if the man was even old enough to be in this establishment.

“Winning is winning.”

“I want to go up against him,” the young man said.

“It’ll be too easy for you,” Minseok said. “Not even worth betting on.”

“Everything is worth betting on,” the man said, grabbing his stick from the table he leaned upon and walking over to them. “Me against him. Place your bet.”

“A grand on you,” Minseok said.

The man nodded toward Yixing and asked him, “And you?”

“A soju if he wins,” Yixing said pointing toward Jongdae.

Minseok laughed and the man seemed amused, but nodded and accepted the bet.

“You want to break or should I?” The man asked Jongdae.

“I don’t remember agreeing to this,” Jongdae said, not wanting to play games, but thinking the prospect of Minseok losing a thousand bucks could be amusing.

“You did when you showed your skill,” the man said, “I’ll go first then.”

“Might as well start putting that grand together for me,” Minseok told Yixing.

“We’ll see,” Yixing stated, crossing his arms to watch.

The man sent the balls scattering, hitting his first three targets with ease.

Jongdae tried to figure out what this man’s agenda was. It was obvious that Minseok had played against him, or at the very least, watched him play many times, but Minseok didn’t tend to let people join them when they were out together, being the most protective when it came to people from outside the family.

Jongdae watched him continue to hit each target, and became mesmerized by the way the man seemed to be enjoying himself, not even considering the physics and geometry as his instincts came naturally to him. There was a cheerful sort of smirk playing upon his lips the entire time, and even when his brown eyes narrowed a touch to concentrate on a particular hit, his grip on the stick and general form of his lean body appeared at ease.

“How long have you been showing off your skills to fellow players?” Jongdae asked him.

“Six months,” he said, as he hit his next target with no effort. Jongdae noticed a slight nasal tone to his voice, and perhaps a hint of a rasp.

“I didn’t believe it either,” Minseok said, “But then I asked around and no one in the billiard halls had ever seen him before then.”

“When did you learn to play?”

“Six months ago,” the man said, flicking the bangs of his straight black hair away from his eyes, before hitting his next target, now down to three final balls.

“You’re a fast learner,” Jongdae remarked.

“I don’t believe him,” Minseok said. “He’s probably been teaching himself for years in his parents’ basement.”

The man hit his next target and looked at the remaining shot he had set up. It would be impossible for him to miss and Jongdae looked at Yixing who did not seem bothered by this.

“I learned at the Eight Club, watching the pros out-skill each other,” the man said, and he hit his final shot with ease, ending the game.

“Pay up,” Minseok said, putting his palm out for Yixing.

“How did you get into the Eight Club if you weren’t a pro?” Jongdae asked him.

“I pulled some strings,” the man said.

“And you wanted to show off for me tonight because?”

“I like how you played.”

“He’s never played that well until tonight,” Minseok pointed out, accepting the soju he got from Yixing instead of the money that Yixing did not possess.

“Then it was my lucky night.”

“What did you like about how I played?” Jongdae asked him, not sure what to make of his answers.

The man put several of the balls back on the table, and arranged them in a way that mimicked one of Jongdae’s previous patterns.

“When your balls landed like this,” the man said, “You considered hitting the backboard to take out this orange ball, but then you reconsidered, shifted your position like this,” the man said getting into the same position Jongdae had been in, “and opted to take out the purple ball to set up your next perfect shot. I wouldn’t have thought to do that.”

“You don’t even seem to think when you play.”

“Exactly. Imagine how much better I’d be if I set up my next shots the way you do instead of winging it each time.”

“You’re full of shit,” Jongdae said.

“How so?”

“You know what you’re doing. You are setting up your next shots. You just think fast. That’s the only explanation.”

“If that’s the illusion I’m giving off, then I must be better than I thought,” he said, smiling in an amused way, though he seemed to be smiling to himself. “Would you like to start the next round?”

“A soju on him,” Yixing said pointing to Jongdae again.

“Do you like being poor?” Minseok asked Yixing with a laugh. “A soju on him,” Minseok said, pointing to the other man.

“Should we make a wager ourselves?” The man asked Jongdae.

“So you can rob me blind?” Jongdae asked him. “Leave it to the audience.”

“Come on. I think you’re more brave than that.”

Jongdae took in the man’s challenging smirk and knew he wouldn’t be able to back down.

“Fine. I win, you give my friend his money back for the soju he bought for not getting a fair shot.”

The man snorted, mirth shining his brown eyes.

“I’ll give your friend his money back even if I win. How about we make it an even two grand?”

Minseok whistled as his eyes went wide.

“Are you under the impression that I walk around with two grand on me?”

“No, but I know he does,” he said, nodding toward Minseok, “I’ll get it from him and you can pay him back. I’m sure you’re good for it.”

“I’d rather not lose my money,” Minseok said.

“Fine, we’re on,” Jongdae said with a nod.

“Oh man,” Minseok said rolling his head in defeat.

Jongdae knew he’d have to clear the table before his opponent ever got the chance to strike. He felt the pressure mounting with each shot, but he thought of it much like the practice range, and each target had the young Wu’s face on it. He had always been good at mental calculations, and now he found that applying them to a game he usually had not been good at, helped him get through each stroke.

But in the end, he wasn’t skilled enough, and when he missed, Minseok crouched with his hands over his head as he cursed.

“What happened there?” The man asked as he moved to the other side of the table to take his shot.

“My beginner’s luck is running out.”

“You don’t seem like someone that relies on luck,” he said, aiming and hitting the target.

“If that’s the illusion I give off, then I must be better than I thought,” Jongdae threw his words back at him.

The man smirked at the response and hit the next target, leaving only one final shot left.

“If you miss this, I’ll know you did it on purpose,” Jongdae pointed out.

“Let him,” Minseok said. “Who cares if it’s on purpose?”

“I won’t lose on purpose,” the man said, and he lined up the easy shot, took aim, and spun the ball in a way that it avoided his target on purpose. “But I will lose on principle.”

“Wait what?” Minseok said jumping up.

“And what principle would that be?” Jongdae asked, as he walked around the table to figure out the shot to get it right.

“The principle of seeing if you can make this exact shot I set up for you. There’s no other shot for you to set up, so there’s no reason for you to think ahead. Do you go with your initial instinct or still analyze the shot?”

It was a good question, and Jongdae already found himself analyzing the situation, trying to think through the deviations in shots. He couldn’t go with his instinct. He liked problems with definitive solutions, and as he leaned over the table, he knew he had found the solution to this one.

He took the shot, hitting his target with expert speed.

“Yes!” Minseok said jumping up and down, and Yixing nudged him to go get him his soju.

The man pulled the cash out from his pocket and dropped it on the table, along with the money for Yixing’s drink.

“You know I’ll want a rematch,” the man said.

“That can be arranged,” Jongdae said with a nod. “Do you have a name?”

The young man smiled and introduced himself.

“Byun Baekhyun. And you?”

“Kim Jongdae,” he replied.

“Until next time, Kim Jongdae,” Baekhyun said with a nod before making his leave.

“I can’t believe you made us money based on principle,” Minseok said. “I don’t even know what that meant, but I’ll take it.”

“I don’t like how interested he seems in you,” Yixing cautioned. “I think he knew who you were. Did you say something?” Yixing asked Minseok.

“I did not. But he knows what I do, so he may have put the two together.”

“Let’s try and limit our interactions with him then, okay?”

“But I like betting on him,” Minseok protested.

“It’s fine,” Jongdae said. “We’ll just be careful.”

“See?” Minseok said, “The mini boss seems to think he’s alright.”

“I don’t think he’s alright,” Jongdae stated, “But I am curious to know what he’s playing at.”

“Well if he keeps making us money,” Minseok said counting the large bills, “Then I’m alright with helping you find out.”

Jongdae looked at the table and tapped it with his stick.

“Let’s play one more game then leave.”

“You actually want to stay?” Yixing asked.

“I want to practice,” Jongdae said, thinking that maybe Minseok had been right, and maybe this wasn’t a bad hobby to pick up.


	3. (Two Moons)

Baekhyun walked into the small apartment he shared with his best friend and dropped his keys and wallet onto the small table by the front door.

“You never know how to come in quietly,” his roommate chided, lowering the volume on the movie he sat watching.

“Why are you still up?” Baekhyun asked him, going to the fridge to pull out a late night snack. “Are these leftover noodles still good?”

“I got invested in this movie, and yes you can have them.”

Baekhyun didn’t bother to heat them up, sitting next to his friend as he attacked them.

“So, are we richer tonight?” His roommate asked him.

“No, we’re poorer. And it’s your fault.”

“How is it my fault?”

“The young Kim showed up to the pool hall.”

His roommate paused the movie and turned his attention to him, his large round eyes surprised by this news.

“He just randomly showed up to the pool hall you were at? What happened?”

“Maybe not too random. His cousin hangs out at this pool hall a lot, which is why I’ve been hitting it up more since you came up with your plan. I made contact. I may have charmed him. I will definitely be seeing him again.”

“Seriously? Nice work.”

“Thanks. I’m not sure how long it will take me to get the info you need, but you know I’ll enjoy doing it.”

“I can’t believe your random billiards obsession got you to the Kims so quickly.”

“I can’t either. It was like fate,” Baekhyun admitted.

“Just be careful.”

“I’m not scared of the high families,” Baekhyun said with a confident smile.

“I wouldn’t want to lose you just the same.”

“Aw, Kyungsoo, that sounded like you cared about me,” Baekhyun cooed as he leaned into him.

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo said, shoving him with a smile. “My only concern is losing the person that helps with the rent. It’s hard for me to find someone I feel comfortable living with.”

“Which makes me even more special,” Baekhyun teased, pretending to be touched.

“On second thought, I could probably do better for a roommate.”

“You’d miss me coming in loud late at night and interrupting your movie watching while eating your leftover food.”

Kyungsoo glared at him, then softened his expression, making Baekhyun laugh.

“Seriously,” Kyungsoo said. “Be careful.”

“You wouldn’t have asked me to do this if you didn’t know I could.”

Kyungsoo nodded at this logic, and Baekhyun devoured the remainder of the noodles.


	4. (Waning Gibbous)

When Chanyeol lived alone with his son, his parents would visit from time to time wanting to check up on him and spend time with their grandson. When Jongin had found out about his new little cousin, he made it a point to stop by to meet him, and Chanyeol thought he would have to make room for a new roommate when Jongin refused to leave Taemin’s side the entire day, regardless if the infant was sleeping, feeding, or having his diaper changed by Chanyeol.

“This is going to be the biggest building in the city,” Jongin said to Chanyeol who had walked in to Taemin’s playroom to find his cousin and his son stacking building blocks upon each other.

“It’s going to be so big, daddy,” Taemin said standing up and reaching his hand up high to show the projected height. “Bigger than daddy.”

“Impossible,” Chanyeol said, and he smiled as he sat on the couch in the room, leaning his elbows on his knees as he sat forward and watched Jongin turn childlike, his eyes bright as he laughed at Taemin’s description.

“It’s going to be taller for sure,” Jongin assured him placing the next block.

“Daddy can live in building when we’re done,” Taemin generously stated.

“That means you’ll live there too,” Chanyeol pointed out.

“No, I live here with grandma and Jongin.”

“You don’t want to live in the building with me?”

“Well,” Taemin hesitated as he put on another block, “I’ll live here.”

“What if grandma and Jongin live in the building too?”

“No, they live here,” Taemin stated.

It bothered Chanyeol that all his fears about leaving were warranted. He knew, with all the attention and love he got from the family, that Taemin would become comfortable here and not want to leave. It was going to be difficult to do so with the new attachments his son had made, and the longer his father took to recover and take back over, the harder it was going to be.

He watched as Jongin laughed when Taemin got on his tippy toes to place the next block, and Chanyeol wondered for a moment who was the real toddler in the room. With Jongin’s help, the two did manage to make the tower quite high, and Chanyeol was instructed by his cousin to come stand beside it to gauge the height.

“It’s too short,” Taemin said disappointed, handing Jongin another block to put on top for him.

“Don’t worry, we’ll fix…” and before Jongin could finish the sentence, the block he placed at the top was not positioned correctly, and the tower came tumbling down.

“Nooo,” Taemin said looking at the rubble on the floor. “You broke it.”

“It broke itself,” Jongin said, trying to not laugh in front of the disappointed child.

“I guess I’ll have to keep living here for now,” Chanyeol offered.

“No, I’ll do it again,” Taemin said, and he crouched down and began stacking blocks again.

Chanyeol rubbed his son’s head and placed a kiss on it, his son ignoring the action as he focused on his task.

***

In his father’s office, Junmyeon presented Chanyeol with information on the assassination attempt.

“The elder Kim passed on the information that they believe the Academy is behind it, but the Academy never misses. However,” Junmyeon placed the ballistics report in front of him. “We obtained this from the Kim family as well. This is the information that they had. The ballistics align with the Academy. They have access to weapons that the rest of us don’t, they have their own supplier that supplies no one else, and the only time we see bullets like these, is when they use them.”

“So, you’re saying someone else stole weapons from the Academy and used it on my father.”

“I’m not saying that’s what happened. But it’s a theory.”

“Are there other theories?”

“Our security came up with a number, the most popular being that they were meant to harm but not kill, but the Academy doesn’t take jobs like that. At least not that we’ve ever heard of. They only take jobs with the outcome of killing.”

“Could a high family have bought out an Academy assassin to act against Academy rules to set up this scenario?”

Junmyeon shook his head.

“The Academy requires a blood allegiance. It’s the only way they can keep their anonymity intact. If an assassin begins to show signs of going rogue, they kill the assassin.”

“So there’s a high family out there that went through great lengths to try and murder my father and frame the Academy for it, but their assassin failed. The attempt on my father’s life occurred four hours before the attempt on the elder Kim. Are we sure it was the same assassin?”

“Same ballistics. But again, if stolen goods, then it could have been two, although I can’t imagine it’s easy to steal one weapon from The Academy, much less two.”

“I feel it’s one person as well,” Chanyeol nodded. “Maybe we should talk to our family’s assassin for more insight. That perspective might be helpful.”

“I’ll call him in for you.”

Their assassin had been part of the family for a long time and had been instrumental in helping the Park family become the most powerful of the high families. Chanyeol had heard stories in passing of their assassin’s perfect hits, and how other families were in fear because of it, but he had never heard too much detail, as his mother attempted to keep him out of earshot of the more violent talks of the family. In Chanyeol’s mind, it made him think that even his mother knew that taking over should never be Chanyeol’s burden to bear.

The assassin bowed respectfully once he entered the room, and Chanyeol warmly motioned for him to take a seat across from him. Junmyeon had moved toward the seat he normally occupied, to best observe.

“We were just discussing the ballistics and theories regarding the attempt on my father’s life,” Chanyeol began. “I wanted your specific perspective on our best theory. Do you think a high family was able to somehow steal a weapon from the Academy to use against us?”

“The very idea that the Academy would ever lose a weapon or have one stolen from them is absurd,” the assassin said, his voice even and calm as he sat with a leg crossed over the other. He had always seemed like an elegant man to Chanyeol, though he had only ever seen him a few times in his life. “To an Academy assassin, weapons are a part of the soul. A philosophy I myself have adapted to ensure success. All of the high family assassins try and learn from the Academy as best as they can. We all aim for their standard.”

“So what’s your best explanation for this?”

“They are not Academy bullets. Simply bullets made to look like Academy bullets.”

“How easy is that to pull off?”

“We could pull it off. If a high family has access to a supplier that can make modifications, they can pull it off.”

“Does our supplier happen to supply other high families?”

“Several others that we know of, possibly more that we don’t know of.”

“Provide a list of the families we know of to our head security. Junmyeon will instruct him to find out what he can from our supplier.”

“As you wish,” the assassin said with a respectful head bow.

“Out of curiosity, how close are high family assassins with each other? For example, we are allies with the Kim family. Are you close with their assassin? Do you trade tips with each other?”

“Assassins stray from forming deep relationships. There is a mutual respect among the assassins of the high families, but nothing more. We do not interact often, but we do keep an eye on each other when we feel it might be important to do so. You ask this question because you’re curious if I have insight on a high family assassin that could have done this. The Kim family assassin is young. Their previous assassin had been much older and could no longer perform his duties, but he taught the young assassin everything he knew and trained him.  When I consider all of our allies, I do not believe they are involved, however, I can be more vigilant and increase activity if it may help find out something more.”

“Please do,” Chanyeol nodded. “Do we happen to have a young assassin that you’re training? Should we find one for you to train if we don’t?”

“I suppose I do seem old to you,” the assassin said a bit amused.

“Apologies. I did not mean to insinuate that you were too old to do your work,” Chanyeol said, feeling a bit embarrassed by his faux paus. “I only wondered if that was a standard. If there are always two assassins in a family, one that is the professional and one that is in training.”

“It is not the standard. But we did have a young assassin,” the man answered with a nod. “However, he left the family. We have not found a replacement yet, as it’s difficult to find that kind of talent combined with loyalty.”

“Why did he leave the family?”

“I was never told the reason. Whatever occurred between my protégé and your father is known only by them. We all just follow orders. Usually, they come with no explanation.”

“Do we know where he is now?” Chanyeol asked, beginning to feel as if there were pieces that could possibly fall into place.

“I do not. He disappeared. As any exceptional assassin would.”

“Do we know his name?”

“He only went by one name while with us, D.O. We never knew what it stood for, but after a while, we began to say it stood for ‘Dead On’ because he never missed.”

“That was all the information we had on him?”

“That was all the information I had on him. It is possible your father knew more.”

“Do you have a picture of him?”

“I do not.”

“But you can give a good description.”

“Yes.”

“Provide that to security as well.”

“They would remember how he looked. Are you thinking he’s a suspect?”

“You don’t leave the family. You make a pledge of loyalty. He left. I think that makes him a suspect. Especially considering his assassin skills. You trained him in the ways of the Academy right?”

“To the best of my ability,” the assassin nodded.

“Then he’s a suspect.”

***

When Chanyeol had finished his business for the day, he joined his family in the dining room, sitting beside Taemin who already sat laughing and playing with his food beside a very supportive Jongin.

“Your rice pattern is much better than mine,” Jongin complimented him with mirth in his eyes.

“I make a maze,” Taemin said, following the pattern he had created with his chopstick.

“He’s so intelligent,” Jongin’s mother said, Chanyeol’s aunt joining them today as she did from time to time. “That’s the Park side of him no doubt.”

Chanyeol was never a fan of when she visited them, even though he knew that his mother did appreciate her sister-in-law’s company during this difficult time.

When he had returned home after the assassination attempt, a terse discussion had been had within days of his arrival regarding hiring a nanny for Taemin.

“No,” Chanyeol had stated before his mother could even complete her sentence.

“But you’re going to be so busy running the family,” she had insisted.

“We’re not going to be here long, and I don’t want him to get attached to people we’re not leaving with,” Chanyeol had explained.

“You’re going to be here long enough,” his aunt had answered instead, taking up the cause for his mother who was emotionally weak from her husband’s condition. “It’s going to take a long time for your father to fully recover. And your mother is right. You’re going to be too busy. Who do you think is going to take care of your illegitimate child during that time?”

Chanyeol’s mother had scolded his aunt before Chanyeol could, though at that moment he had every intention of throwing the ice-cold water he had in his hand in her face for speaking crassly about his son.

“I’m not going to be polite about the issue,” his aunt had verbally fought back. “He is acting spoiled, as he always does. Only thinking about himself. And you,” she said turning her attention back to him. “Do you expect your mother who is in pain and distraught about her husband to watch over your child? Everyone else in this family has things to do and do not have the time to take care of your mistake.”

“Make one more comment about my son in that way and I will forbid you from coming back into this home while I am the head of the family,” Chanyeol had said in lieu of throwing the water in her face. He would save that for another outburst if she dared to risk it.

His aunt had pursed her lips as if considering how to react to the threat, and his mother had reached her hand out to Chanyeol’s arm.

“Please,” his mother had said to him. “A nanny would be a good idea. Taemin needs someone to watch over him and to play with him and to keep his mind off this sudden change in his life and how he is seeing you less. This is for the best. For him and you.”

Chanyeol had not wanted to concede, but unfortunately his aunt had brought up a good point. His mother had too much going on, watching over his father and taking care of him. It wouldn’t be fair of him to leave the burden of watching his son to her, nor to anyone else in the home. So he had told her to go ahead and find one, and that night he begged his father, who was not awake to hear him, to do his best to recover as quick as he could.

Now he sat at dinner with his aunt’s unwelcome comments, and he considered taking his son and his dinner to his room instead. Unfortunately, he didn’t care much for taking the easy way out in situations like these. He knew his presence made his aunt uncomfortable now that he was in a position to make her life miserable if necessary.

“Anya said that his reading has excelled since she began teaching him,” his mother gloated, and Chanyeol did like to see her face light up. Speaking about her grandson seemed to give her the energy she needed to take care of his father throughout the day.

“He gets it from me,” Jongin said with a big smile. “I’m the smart one in the family.”

Chanyeol snorted and ate his rice.

“Have you considered his schooling yet?” his aunt asked him, and Chanyeol gave her a look that made it known she better consider this line of questioning with trepidation. “He’s at an age where he could begin preschool. The best ones almost assure entrance into the best elementary schools.”

“We could hire him a private tutor instead,” his mother said. “If you don’t wish to send him to school just yet.”

“I like the idea of him just being a kid right now,” Chanyeol said, feeling tense from this sudden topic, but remaining as calm as he could. “I’ll begin to consider these things when he turns four.”

“It’s competitive out there,” his aunt continued. “For him to have a good chance, he needs to be enrolled as early as possible.”

“It’s not your concern,” Chanyeol warned her.

“It’s what my brother would want for his first-born grandson. He would want him to have the best.”

“Since when have you been concerned for what’s best for my son?”

“Please,” his mother said interrupting them. “Why are we arguing about this?”

“No one’s arguing,” Chanyeol said, as he focused on eating his rice again.

“When the time comes,” his mother said, “Chanyeol will do what’s right. Let’s focus on eating and having a good night. Taemin and I have already made plans to watch a fun movie tonight.”

“That’s great,” Jongin said, “Because Chanyeol and I have already made plans for a fun night as well.”

“I don’t recall that,” Chanyeol said mid-bite.

“Be ready by 10.”

***

Chanyeol didn’t care to be going out again, and he had hoped that Jongin would take him to a different club, or maybe just a restaurant, but instead they ended up at the same club of their last outing and Chanyeol had a suspicion as to why.

“This better not be a setup,” Chanyeol said, drinking his soju in VIP, not interested in the cognac that Jongin had ordered for them.

Jongin gave him his amused smirk and said hello to a few acquaintances of his that had stopped by to chat with him.

Chanyeol felt exhausted, each day wearing him out more than the last as he tried to keep up with every facet of his family’s dealings. He didn’t know how his father did this each day, but he figured his dad at the very least had prior knowledge to help him. Chanyeol had to rely on Junmyeon before each meeting and after for the parts that had not made sense. He hated being so dependent on someone else.

He let his eyes flutter close for a moment to let them and his mind rest, and when he opened them again, he saw a security guard saying something into Jongin’s ear and pointing behind him. Chanyeol looked in the indicated direction, seeing Sehun standing at the VIP velvet rope, arms crossed, sucking on his bottom lip as he watched the security guard.

“Ah, of course,” Jongin said, waving toward Sehun with a smile, “Let him in. Bring him right over.”

The multiple colors of his hair seemed to have faded some, and this time he had opted for a fitted black button-down shirt instead of a mesh one. Chanyeol thought it suited his frame well.

“I have your money,” Sehun said to Jongin once he arrived at the table.

“Sit, have a drink,” Jongin scooted over so Sehun could slide in beside him, and Sehun seemed to hesitate, glancing at Chanyeol who continued to stare at him without acknowledging him.

Sehun did sit, sliding into the booth and accepting the drink that Jongin poured for him.

Chanyeol realized only then that it had indeed been a setup. He had forgotten all about Sehun’s promise to return the money and what day it would have occurred. Chanyeol barely could remember what day it was since each day felt more draining than the next as they all melded into each other. He regretted not keeping better track to avoid this situation.

After Sehun had taken a sip, he reached into his pocket and Jongin quickly covered his hand to stop him.

“We can get to that in a bit. How have you been?”

“Fine,” Sehun said, biting his lip then adding, “Although I didn’t appreciate finding out that my friends and people who knew me had been asked questions about me.”

“Ah, sorry about that,” Jongin said. “Precautions always have to be taken.”

“I can’t believe you’re only a sophomore,” Chanyeol said shaking his head to himself. “You do look young though,” he said taking him in again.

“I’m legal,” Sehun stated.

“Yes, we know,” Chanyeol stated as he took another sip of his beer.

“Well I did some research too, Park Chanyeol,” Sehun said and Jongin laughed, settling back into his seat with his drink and looking at Chanyeol as if the ball was in his court.

“Congrats, you found out my name,” Chanyeol shrugged off.

“I looked up the hotel you took me to. With the way you were treated, I started thinking that maybe you owned it or had some sort of ties to it. I was right. Your dad owns it.”

“He does,” Chanyeol confirmed with a nod.

“And your dad is the head of the most powerful high family.”

“He is,” Chanyeol confirmed again.

“But he’s not well, so you’ve taken his place.”

Chanyeol stayed silent.

“So you’re the head of the most powerful high family.”

“Temporarily,” Chanyeol said, now wanting that drink that Jongin had poured him earlier. He set down his soju and picked up the glass.

“Now that I know your name, what would you like me to call you?”

“You do not need to call me anything. I’m sure I’ll never see you again once you’ve paid my cousin back.”

“You can call me Jongin,” Jongin said with a smile. “You can call him Chanyeol.”

“I should give you this money,” Sehun said.

“Is it burning a hole in your pocket?” Jongin asked him with a laugh.

“It belongs to a high family. Nothing good can come from me holding it.”

“So smart,” Chanyeol said, “Take the money,” he then told Jongin.

Jongin motioned for Sehun to slide closer to him, then out of Chanyeol’s view, the transaction occurred, Sehun sliding back to his original spot when it was done.

“You can leave now,” Chanyeol then said.

Sehun looked at Chanyeol for a moment then nodded.

“I rather enjoy your company,” Jongin said. “I think you should stay.”

Sehun took a sip of his drink and nodded toward Chanyeol.

“He’s your boss right?”

“He’s my cousin, but for now he gets to be my boss too.”

“Then his order trumps yours,” Sehun said, putting his glass down and sliding out of the booth.

“He only meant the booth,” Jongin pointed out. “Not the club. You can stay in the club. You should stay in the club.”

Chanyeol looked away from Sehun when he looked at him, focusing instead on the drink in his hand.

“What is wrong with you?” Jongin asked him after a moment.

Chanyeol looked up at him and said, “Nothing is wrong with me.”

“You really don’t want to hit that again?”

“It’s called a one-night stand for a reason.”

“Look, I know you don’t do the commitment thing. But a man in your position should at the very least have a sure thing. It’s too dangerous for a family head to pick up different people each time. We’ve already checked Sehun out, and even better, you don’t have to worry about knocking him up. It’s a win-win.”

“I was doing fine not having anyone. I didn’t ask for a one-night stand, and I don’t need a sure thing. Besides, I’m only the head temporarily.”

“It’s been four weeks. You’re about to go into month two. Your idea of temporary may not be as short as you think it is.”

Chanyeol shook his head, feeling annoyed and tense all at once.

“It’s been four weeks, and we still haven’t found the person responsible for this,” Chanyeol sighed, finishing his drink. “I need to get back to work.”

“You need to relax,” Jongin told him. “And we will find the person. Have you decided yet what you’re going to do once you find them?”

“Find out which family the person works for, then kill the assassin and make the family pay.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Jongin said. “You know what else sounds like a good plan? You having a sure thing.”

“Why are you so hung up on this?”

“For selfish reasons.”

“Which are?”

“I miss who you were. Back when we’d go clubbing together, or share stories about our crazy nights. Your crazy nights have turned into permanent babysitting nights, which is cool. Don’t get me wrong. I’m looking forward to those nights as well after I’m married and everything, but you kind of got short changed on life with that happening so early for you. And you don’t even have someone else to help you with it like that. He’s completely your responsibility. And now this running the family life is completely your responsibility. So you’re not really yourself at the moment. I miss you. The one that had a goofy smile on his face and laughed at everything like it was the funniest thing in the world even when it wasn’t.”

“That part of me doesn’t come out when I hook up with people anymore either. Having a sure thing isn’t going to fix that. That part of me is on hold indefinitely.”

“That’s too bad.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

“It’s fine,” Jongin said, smiling at him. And then he looked over toward the dance floor and smiled even more, and Chanyeol followed his gaze to see Sehun dancing to the beat as another man had his hands on Sehun’s hips. “At least he’s got the right idea. I’m going to get out there and enjoy the music a bit. Don’t drink yourself to sleep.”

Chanyeol poured himself more cognac and sipped his drink as he watched Jongin join the crowd and once again be engulfed by his admirers. His gaze shifted to where Sehun still danced, now the man closer to him as he grinded his hips against Sehun’s.

A jolt went through Chanyeol and he looked away, not wanting to think about Jongin’s words or how nice it would be to have a warm body by his side once again. The philosophy he had adopted at a young age had been a hard one, but he had stayed true to it, resolute in the importance of his decision.

He had broken his philosophy only once and it had solidified his positioning. It wasn’t worth the risk, especially not with someone so young who was beginning to figure out his life. He was only a sophomore. Chanyeol could not be responsible for a 19-year-old’s life, especially one that stood out so much and would draw attention to himself by his mere existence.

Chanyeol made the mistake of looking back at Sehun, now holding onto the other man’s waist as his raw energy exuded from the motions of his hips. The other man could barely hold on, moving his head closer to Sehun’s ear to say something to him.

He could feel his body aroused by the scene, and he tried to drown it out with his drink. He was only human, and he couldn’t help the desires within him, but he couldn’t be careless. He poured himself another, which only made another side of Chanyeol flare up, one that he knew had always been a problem for him, no matter how much he had tried to deny it – jealousy.

He slid out of the booth and headed straight to Sehun, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the other man with a force greater than he had intended.

“He’s with me,” Chanyeol said to the man who looked both confused and on the verge of argument.

“He was dancing with me,” the man said.

“Tell him you’re with me,” Chanyeol ordered Sehun.

Sehun seemed to read Chanyeol’s eyes for a beat and then looked at the man and said, “I’m with him.”

“Tease,” the man spat at Sehun before walking away from him.

Sehun blinked and then looked back at Chanyeol and said, “That wasn’t very nice.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“You’re not a nice person.”

“If you want to go with him instead then feel free.”

“I’m fine going with you. I’m just pointing out that what you did wasn’t nice.”

“Was that guy more your type?”

“Yes.”

“So you’d rather go with him. Then you should go.”

“I’m with you.”

Chanyeol wasn’t sure if he was mocking him with that answer, but he did consider that Sehun may just be that obedient of a person. He didn’t care to figure out which since it’s not like this would be more than a two-night-stand thing.

He made his own arrangements this time, asking for his usual room at a less luxurious, but more hip and trendy boutique hotel that his family owned. It catered to a younger crowd, single people looking for adventures, or young professionals looking for the “it” place to be seen at, usually spending most of their stay at the bar or pool. He thought Sehun would feel more comfortable there, not that it mattered to Chanyeol if the young man was comfortable or not.

In the car, Chanyeol watched Sehun look out the window as the scenery passed by, perhaps remembering Chanyeol’s preferred behavior of him from the last ride. His eyes lingered for a moment on the young man’s profile, and then traveled down, taking in the line of his body as he reached the hips that he’d seen in action already too much tonight. He wanted to grind against them the way the other man had, and Chanyeol licked his lips and looked back up at his companion’s profile.

“Now that you know enough,” Chanyeol began, “You need to be very aware of the decision you’re making by coming with me.”

Sehun turned his head to look at Chanyeol, his brown eyes big and attentive.

“My line of work is dangerous. That puts you in danger by being this close to me. I can drop you off at your place instead if you don’t want to take that risk.”

Sehun looked toward the front seat where Chanyeol’s bodyguard sat, and looked back at Chanyeol.

“You have a bodyguard.”

“Yes, and his job is to protect me. Not you. If a rival family opens fire, no one’s going to protect you. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?”

“How often do rival families open fire on you?”

“They haven’t yet since I’ve been the head,” he stated, “But the last time they did… well I’m the head now.”

Sehun nodded in understanding.

“It’s fine. I’m willing to take the risk.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” he said, chewing on the bottom of his lip as he looked at him.

“Well let me know if you change your mind.”

Sehun nodded and let out a soft sigh before turning his attention back out the window.

***

Chanyeol noticed that Sehun did seem a bit more relaxed in the less gaudy hotel. When they arrived at their room, Sehun took in the view, less spectacular, but still exciting as it looked out upon the bustling nightlife of the popular street it faced.

“So, the other place is more your cousin’s style, and this place is more your style?” He asked him, walking over to grab the beer that Chanyeol offered to him from the ice bucket that had been waiting for them on the table.

“My cousin is a fan of the finer things in life,” Chanyeol affirmed. “I like energy. Or I used to like energy. I haven’t been here in a long time honestly.”

“This is where you normally bring your two-night stands then?”

Chanyeol glanced at Sehun to see if he was mocking him, and there was a slight smirk on the younger man’s face.

“One-night stands. My advisors, however, are opposed to me having one-night stands while I’m the head, so since you’ve already been checked out, you were cleared for a second night. You should feel honored.”

“So honored,” he said, and Chanyeol was now becoming accustomed to Sehun’s nonplussed sarcasm.

The night went better than the first time, Sehun knowing his place and not smarting as much each time Chanyeol gave him a command. He didn’t bother asking if he could top, moving his body already into a position he knew Chanyeol would want him in, and Chanyeol tried to be more gentle this time, really not wanting to hurt him, and having more patience, knowing he wasn’t in as much of a dire need as he had been the first time.

He rewarded Sehun afterwards by snuggling with him, holding him close and breathing in the scent of the younger man’s cologne, a popular one among men his age, and one that Chanyeol had grown out of when he realized he had found someone he wanted to be attached to.

He blinked away the thoughts before they could fully come to him, certain memories left best locked away where they couldn’t do any damage.

Instead he focused on Sehun’s long eyelashes, fluttering as his eyes fought between staying open and closing.

“Even though I’m not your type,” Chanyeol said, letting his fingers rub slow circles on Sehun’s lower back. “And I won’t let you top. And even though I sweat a lot and have big ears, and you’re scared to hold money that belongs to me, and you know your life is in danger when you’re with me, you’re still here, lying beside me.”

“I am,” Sehun said with a nod.

“Why? You aren’t attracted to me. I’m sure you don’t even like me. Why are you doing this again with me?”

“Because I’m your type,” Sehun said, sucking his lip as he stared up at him, his eyes innocent.

“I think you’re a lot of people’s type,” Chanyeol pointed out. “You don’t have to settle for me. I have nothing to offer you. You have better options.”

“You’re interesting,” Sehun said, and it was the first thing the young man had ever said that finally made sense to Chanyeol. “You like energy. I like interesting.”

“I used to like energy,” Chanyeol pointed out.

“I still like interesting.”

“Okay then, shouldn’t you finding me interesting make me more your type? If that’s what you’re into?”

“No, you’re just interesting.”

Chanyeol huffed and gave up, thinking the one breakthrough of being interesting would be the only thing of sense he’d ever get from Sehun. It didn’t matter. What did he care what Sehun really thought? He was just a two-night stand. He’d probably never see him again after that night.

***

In the morning, Chanyeol’s father seemed to be in good spirits and he held his hand with a smile, letting him know that he looked much better.

His father offered him a smile, and squeezed his hand in return.

“You’re doing well,” his father said. “I spoke with Junmyeon last night for a moment. He says you’re fitting in nicely as the head.”

“Not as nicely as you fit,” Chanyeol assured him. “You’ll be back in charge in no time.”

“The doctor says I’m healing better now, but it will still take some time.”

“How much time?” Chanyeol asked, hoping it was no more than a month. He wasn’t sure he could handle more time than that of this nightmare.

“More time than you would like,” his father said with a knowing stare. “I’m sorry you are in this position. I know it is not what you want.”

“I don’t want it for myself, but I want it less for my son. He’s already too attached to this home. He’s trying to build me a building to send me off to live without him so he can stay here with mom and Jongin.”

The elder Park smiled, and Chanyeol could tell that he had wanted to laugh, but this was the closest he could get to laughing in his current condition.

“I’m glad you’re amused by that,” Chanyeol said, with a good-natured pout, “I’m rather offended by it.”

“Your son adores you,” his father said. “I’m sure there’s a good reason he wants to send you off to your own building. Just as there’s a good reason that you took over the family when you didn’t want to. Sons and fathers have a special bond.”

“I took over because you and mom made the mistake of not having more children. Although I would be happy to hand the reins over to Jongin with your permission.”

“Jongin is good at what he does,” the elder Park stated, “But he’s not a leader of a family. Regardless of what ideas my sister puts into his mind about it. She naturally thinks he’d be the best choice to lead, but it’s because she wants the pride of having her son be the head. She’s blinded by her love for her son. All parents tend to be guilty of this. You should know.”

Chanyeol did know this. He often kept himself awake at night wondering if the decisions he had made for Taemin that day had been the right ones. He knew he spoiled his son too much and was too overprotective. He could admit he was blinded by his love for his son.

“When you’re better in a few weeks,” Chanyeol said, hoping that if he put the short timeline in the atmosphere that it would become a reality, “And we’re transitioning power back to you. We really need to talk about who your real permanent replacement will be when it’s time. You know, when you’re like 112 and have lived a full life.”

The elder Park smiled at him and gave a weak nod.

***

Chanyeol had breakfast with Taemin and afterwards went to the playroom with him to play a silly card game that involved matching animals. When it was time for him to leave his son and start his business day, he was in decent spirits and he nodded a hello to Junmyeon who sat waiting for him, as always.

“I heard you had a good consult with my father last night,” Chanyeol said, sitting in his father’s chair and stretching his long legs out across the desk as he faced his advisor.

“Now that he’s more lucid, he requests updates on your well-being,” Junmyeon explained. “He’s worried about you. He feels terrible that you’ve been put in this position against your wishes.”

“I’m not a fan of being checked up on, but I guess if it makes him happy...”

“He’s more worried about you than he is the family,” Junmyeon stated with warmth. “He told me to make sure that I do what I can to make you happy. I’m not good at dealing with impossible requests.”

“I hope you at least had the common sense to lie to him.”

“As an advisor, lying is not in my nature. Instead I told him that you were in charge of your own happiness, and that I would keep an eye on you and influence it when I could.”

“Well hopefully you have a better tactic than Jongin’s ridiculous plan of just trying to get me laid.”

“I feel I do,” Junmyeon nodded with a smile, “Although I have to give credit to Jongin for at least being right about you continuing to see someone we’ve checked out as opposed to different people. Did it go better with the sophomore this time around?”

“It went. He was a nice two-night stand. So what’s your plan of action for my happiness?”

“I think you need a win.”

“A win?”

Junmyeon nodded, his brown eyes bright with the idea that lived behind them.

“As of now, you’ve been filling in, trying to catch up. What you need is to take something on, follow it through, and win it. When I spoke with your father last night, I asked him about D.O.”

Chanyeol’s eyebrow raised and he cocked his head to listen better.

“He didn’t say anything, but his reaction was interesting. He seemed far away for a bit before finally telling me that he had no idea where he had disappeared to. When I asked him why he was left the family, he said that it was a personal matter and that I didn’t need to inquire. In fact, he said, no one is to inquire.”

“That makes no sense.”

“It’s certainly strange. But, I have all of my father’s notes. So I spent all night going through them, trying to find any mention of D.O. I found out two things so far. One, he apparently was brought into the family to start training at the age of 12.”

“Twelve?” Chanyeol asked surprised, removing his legs from the desk as he leaned forward in his chair. “That’s so young. Twelve? We were teaching a 12-year-old to be an assassin?”

“It seems that way. The other thing I found out is that his payments were arranged for him in cash, and the cash was given to him by your father directly. The amount was not disclosed.”

“I take it that’s not normal?”

“It is normal to pay assassins in cash. There can’t be a trace back toward professional killers. However, our accountant handles the cash payments to our assassin, so your dad handling the cash payments to D.O. are definitely not normal.”

“How do other families handle that?”

“Not sure, but you can ask the Kim family when they arrive in a few minutes. I believe the elder Kim has sent his son once again to visit.”

Chanyeol gave a loud sigh, not wanting to deal with Jongdae when he had more important things to focus on.

However, when Jongdae arrived with his advisor, Chanyeol motioned for him to sit instead of making him stand like the first time. After how his father had treated him at their last visit, he didn’t think he should be as harsh on him.

“Thank you for fitting us into your busy schedule,” Jongdae said with a nod, and Chanyeol thought it interesting that he said “us” instead of “me.” Did he mean the family or his advisor? Chanyeol would never give that much deference to another family, not even an ally. He would have said “me” since that’s who they’d be dealing with.

“It is busy,” Chanyeol said, “But I assume you’re here for an important reason.”

“My father thinks…” Jongdae began, and then stopped himself, swallowing thickly as he looked toward his advisor, who seemed to be giving him an encouraging look. Jongdae sighed and looked back at Chanyeol. “We didn’t get off on the best foot when I was here last, by myself,” Jongdae made sure to clarify. “I wanted to apologize for whatever wrong you feel we have made against the Park family to warrant that type of reception on your part. We are allies, and we hold that alliance very dear, as your father and mine are best friends.”

Jongdae seemed to know he shouldn’t have added that last part, as he shook his head to himself and mouthed the words back to himself in disbelief.

“You seem to have less idea of what you’re doing than I do,” Chanyeol said, giving him a break.

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Jongdae said looking at him. “You know that. But my father is concerned about what you being in power means for our alliance. He’s now more concerned because of how you’ve reacted both times we’ve visited. How can we prove our allegiance to you to confirm that our alliance still stands strong?”

“You have a young assassin in your family. Correct?”

Jongdae looked confused by this question, perhaps unsure of how it related to his own question.

“We do,” Jongdae confirmed.

“How does your assassin get paid?”

“I’m sorry?”

“How do you pay your assassin? Do you only use cash? Who distributes the payments?”

“We use cash and our accountant distributes the payments. Why?”

Chanyeol nodded.

“That’s how we do it as well. I was curious if it was the same across families.”

“Is this in relation to figuring out who is responsible for the attempts?”

“We’re in the midst of our own investigation,” Chanyeol confirmed.

“We can help. We’re in the middle of our own investigation as well.”

“Originally, I didn’t think we would require help,” Chanyeol said, “However, I would like to have a talk with your assassin, and since I know how sensitive of a request that is, it appears I will require your help.”

“I cannot allow you to speak with our assassin,” Jongdae said, and Chanyeol knew that would be the case. A family’s assassin was precious and to be kept protected at all costs.

“I know, so it seems I’ll need you to speak with your assassin instead.”

“So, that means we’d be working together on this investigation. Our family and yours.”

“I’m afraid so,” Chanyeol said.

“Why does that idea bother you so much? We used to be good at working together, you and I.”

“We’re not kids anymore, Jongdae,” Chanyeol said, perhaps with more of a patronizing tone than he should have used. “Someone tried to kill your father, someone came very close to killing mine. This isn’t fun and games. We can help each other with this, but it doesn’t mean anything other than our families have an alliance. It’s intact. You can let your father know if it will help get him off your back.”

“I don’t need your help dealing with my father,” Jongdae bristled, and Chanyeol could see his former friend’s nerves unraveling. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so blunt.

“Talk to your assassin,” Chanyeol instructed him with an even tone. “Ask him if he knows anything about a young assassin named D.O. Come back to us with what you find out. At that time, if the information is substantial, we can exchange all the information we both have with each other.”

“You want us to do you a favor, and then maybe get something in return?” Jongdae asked him, still visibly annoyed. Chanyeol wanted to tell him that he needed to get a better handle on his emotions if he was going to survive as a head of a family, but he knew it would just make him more defensive.

“I gave you the confirmation that our alliance is intact. Isn’t that what your father wanted to know? Now I’m asking something of you.”

Jongdae seemed a bit confused and then annoyed by this, but then he tersely sighed and stood up, bowing to Chanyeol.

“I’ll return when I have information,” he stated.

“Thank you,” Chanyeol said nodding to him.

When Jongdae and his advisor left, Chanyeol looked at Junmyeon and let out a long sigh.

“He’s going to get himself killed,” Chanyeol stated, rubbing the tension that had developed on his forehead.

“Perhaps,” Junmyeon said. “I’m surprised you asked him for help. What spurred that? Last I checked, you wanted little to do with the Kim family and for them to not be involved.”

“I’m trying to do the right thing,” Chanyeol explained. “I don’t want us involved with the Kim family. I know they’re an ally, but I never cared much for them leaving the family to start their own. I’ve always found that suspicious. And while they’ve done nothing to make us think they aren’t allies, I just feel distance would be good during this time. I don’t know them as well as my father does, or how to handle them the way my father does. He knows what he’s dealing with when it comes to them. I don’t. For all I know, they could have orchestrated this, knowing I’d be in charge and knowing that was there chance to attack us or something. Maybe that’s paranoid, but I don’t know how to do this job without being paranoid.”

“You have to be a little paranoid to do your job,” Junmyeon affirmed for him. “You just can’t let the paranoia do the job for you.”

Chanyeol nodded. “I’m doing my best to keep it in check. I don’t believe for a second that the Kim family is responsible for the attack on my father. I know that they were attacked as well, but that could have been easily orchestrated by them to make it seem as if they were victims as well, and therefore not the attackers, after all, the elder Kim was not injured.”

“But a lot of their people were,” Junmyeon pointed out.

“Which is why I don’t believe it’s them. So, in order to figure it out, I have to do the right thing and work with them. Whoever did this wanted both of our families to go down. We need to figure out who our mutual enemy is and why they’re doing this.”

“I have to say, this is a very responsible thing to do on your part. It’s also something a good head of a family would have done. I know you don’t want to be doing this, but unlike your former friend, you’re actually good at this.”

“Don’t get used to it. My dad will be in this seat soon enough.”

Hopefully in less than a month, and hopefully with the knowledge of which family had been behind this interruption in their lives.


	5. (Waxing Crescent)

After the meeting with the Park family, Jongdae had instructed the driver to take them to a bar that was nowhere near any establishments owned by his family. He needed to calm his nerves before returning home to give an update to his father, who would more than likely not be pleased by this latest request from the Park family.

“I know these meetings are never easy for you,” Yixing said to him as he faced him in the car, the look of concern sketched upon his face, at this point, Jongdae thought, permanently, “But we have got to work on you controlling your emotions in front of other families.”

“He played me,” Jongdae said with indignation. “So easily. Like I didn’t even see it coming. He played me like a toy. Wound me up and sent me in the direction he needed me to go.”

“You can’t take this personally. Remember, his family is the most powerful. There’s a reason for that. We’re not here to compete with them. We’re just here to make sure everything is fine and peaceful between us, especially when we’ve suffered so much loss. Other families know we’re weak right now. That leaves us wide open for attack. We may need the Park family’s help in the future, so we need to help them with this for now.”

“I hate them.”

“I do too,” Yixing said, and Jongdae looked at his advisor surprised. “I hate them because you hate them. I hate them because Chanyeol doesn’t treat you with respect – respect you deserve as an acting head. But it doesn’t matter that I hate them, and it doesn’t matter that you hate them either. It’s like your cousin said. You have to put the family first.”

Jongdae wanted to scream, or yell, or punch the glass window beside him, but instead he took large breaths to keep himself together. He never cared that his family wasn’t as powerful as Chanyeol’s. He knew that it was a miracle that his father had left a family in the first place to start his own and survived to tell the tale. But his father’s act hadn’t really created a complete and autonomous high family. What he had done was created an extension of the Park family, and Jongdae knew that the Park family treated them in a manner fitting of an extension and not of a true high family.

It was the reason that Chanyeol wouldn’t bother to treat him with respect, and the reason that he had felt at ease asking Jongdae to run an errand for him with no hesitancy. Whatever the Park family wanted, the Kim family would be at their beck and call for, but he had never seen any evidence that it worked in the reverse. In Jongdae’s mind, what his family had with the Park family wasn’t an alliance. It was a debt.

***

The elder Kim stared at his son with a blank expression, and Jongdae knew that meant he was too upset to even form words.

“I know,” Jongdae said before his father could find some to give him. “He played me. I went in too weak and gave him everything to use against me. I have learned from this mistake. I should not have even mentioned you or your request. He knows my weaknesses. He knows… you’re my weakness. So, he will use this to his advantage each time we meet. So, I will work on this…”

“You will work on me not being a weakness for you? What kind of son have I raised that his father would be a weakness for him?”

Why did he say that? He should have kept it to himself. It had been implied regardless, but again he had given too much information to be used against him. Why was he so bad at this? He hadn’t learned from his mistake after all.

“You used to be my strength,” Jongdae said, his voice soft and weak as he looked at his hands unsure of how to get out of this new situation he had created for himself. He looked up to see his father’s face had softened a notch, probably from exhaustion of constantly being disappointed in him. “I will fix this.”

“How?”

“There must be an important reason that he wants this information. He gave us a piece of information we didn’t have before. I will speak to our assassin, find out what he knows, and based upon that information figure out what it is that’s important for the Park family to know. Then we’ll use that to figure this out and get the upper hand on the investigation.”

“Do you plan on giving him the information?”

“Yes, eventually.”

“Then you won’t have the upper hand will you?”

Jongdae looked confused.

“But we have to give it to him. As allies.”

“Yes. I’m just letting you know, that the upper hand is something you will never seem to have when dealing with Chanyeol. You’re incapable of it.”

Jongdae’s stomach flipped, which was better than the searing pang in his chest he would have felt if he hadn’t had four whiskeys to help him through this.

“With all due respect,” Jongdae said, “You could handle this situation yourself if you think I am incapable.”

His father glared at his sass and Jongdae wondered if his father would strike him again. Was it something he should begin becoming accustomed to? Or would his mother’s warning be enough to protect him? How pathetic that he had to rely on his mother for protection when he was a grown man.

“Leave,” his father said instead.

Jongdae bowed and left his father’s office, heading straight to the gun range where he could best relieve the new stress that had been introduced from his father’s words.

***

“D.O.” Minseok said, letting the letters roll around his tongue a few times before shaking his head. “It doesn’t ring a bell.”  He racked up the balls on the billiard table for them and motioned for Yixing to break first, out of sympathy for his lack of chances to win.

“Well hopefully it rings a bell for our assassin,” Jongdae said, taking a sip of his drink before putting it down to pick up his cue stick.

After the events of the day, Jongdae had needed a night away from reality, plus he had a rematch to take care of if Baekhyun hadn’t been bluffing and bothered to show up.

“It’s weird that they would give you a name,” Minseok pointed out as Yixing surprisingly didn’t miss on his first try. “A name is a lot of information. Is that their main suspect?”

Jongdae shrugged and cheered on Yixing as he hit his next target.

“All he said was to ask our assassin if he knew anything about a young assassin named D.O.”

“That has to be their suspect,” Minseok said nodding. “And the fact that they would share that means they’re onto something. This is pretty huge.”

“I wish it had been huge on our part instead.”

“Well it may be depending on what we find out,” Minseok pointed out. “We haven’t been lucky with any of our leads so I’ll take this new piece of information. Even if it did come from the almighty Chanyeol himself.”

“God I hate him,” Jongdae said taking another drink once he realized that Yixing was actually doing quite well.

“Join the club,” Minseok said raising his beer up to him as in a toast.

“Well this is another new development,” Baekhyun said, walking his way over to the table, finally making his appearance. “When did this happen?” He asked Minseok.

“I feel that both of my companions are secretly members of an underground billiards club and didn’t feel the need to invite me,” Minseok replied

“How rude of them,” Baekhyun agreed, crossing his arms as he watched in amusement.

“I’ve been practicing,” Yixing stated, hitting yet another ball in a perfect shot.

“We can see that,” Jongdae and Minseok said at the same time.

When Yixing cleared the table on his own he looked at Minseok and said, “You owe me a drink.”

“What the hell is this?” Minseok asked laughing, while motioning for the bartender to get Yixing another drink.

“Well, Jongdae did really well the last time we were here,” Yixing explained, “So I watched tutorials and have been practicing so that I could get on his level.”

“His level?” Minseok asked. “You should have been striving for my level. And what the hell? You did this for him?”

“I did not ask him to do this,” Jongdae said raising his hands up in defense.

“As his…” Yixing stopped himself when he glanced at Baekhyun, “…well I thought it would be a good idea to get a better insight into his thinking patterns.”

“As his advisor,” Baekhyun said for him. “I know who you are. All of you,” he said, looking at Jongdae with a smile and then back at Yixing. “And I must say, you are a great advisor. I’d love to talk with you someday about this. What it takes, how you go about it, if I possibly have the requirements needed, or personality, one day to do such a job.”

“You?” Minseok said and then he laughed. “To be an advisor you have to be a good listener. All you do is talk.”

“I can listen,” Baekhyun said with a pout, but the pout was tempered by the smile attached to it and the laugh that followed. “Enough.”

“You have to listen more than enough,” Yixing stated. “You have to listen a lot. And with more than just your ears.”

“I bet I could do it,” Baekhyun stated with confidence.

“Well the job is not available,” Jongdae let him know. “You’ll have to find another high family to apply at.”

“Do you have any other jobs available?” Baekhyun asked.

“Is that what you’re after?” Jongdae asked him.

“No,” Baekhyun sighed, “I’m just unemployed at the moment and thought I’d take my chances.”

“What do you do?” Jongdae asked him.

“We don’t care,” Minseok said. “You don’t just apply for a family and get hired. We don’t take people who come to us. We go after the people we want.”

“I’m so hurt that you hadn’t thought to ask me to join your family then,” Baekhyun said to Minseok with an amused grin. “My billiards skills didn’t impress you?”

“Well if we had needed a billiards expert…” Minseok looked up as he seemed to think, “No, nope, even then we wouldn’t have called you. We would have gone to the 8 Club.”

“I go to the 8 Club.”

“And hired an actual member.”

“Lame,” Baekhyun said with a laugh. “So are we playing or what?”

“Why are you so interested in Jongdae?” Yixing asked him.

“The same reason you are,” Baekhyun replied as he moved to the other side of the table to rack the balls, “I’m interested in the way he thinks.”

“I know you think you know what you’re dealing with here,” Jongdae told the bubbly man, “But you need to really be careful. Your enthusiasm for wanting to join a high family probably has my cousin on high alert thinking you’re an undercover.”

“I would personally love to be an undercover,” Baekhyun said. “Unfortunately, the force wouldn’t have me.”

“He has a record,” Minseok pointed out to Jongdae. “I ran a background check on him after he crashed our last billiards outing. You’re actually quite interesting Byun Baekhyun.”

“Am I? How so?”

“Let’s see, what was in your record again? Oh right, petty theft, breaking and entering, assault, fraud, identity theft, drug possession, illegal gambling…”

“Hey, a guy’s gotta do what he’s gotta do to survive,” Baekhyun said with a nod.

“Your record makes you useless to us,” Jongdae said.

“You only hire people with clean records?” Baekhyun asked, done with racking the balls and leaning forward on his cue stick as he looked at Jongdae, “Yikes.”

“We can’t have anything that ties us to…”

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Baekhyun waved off. “I know the logic. But have you ever stopped to consider that if you’re hiring people who haven’t made mistakes, maybe you’ve hired people that don’t know much of anything at all? After all, mistakes are the only real way to learn.”

“I appreciate that way of thinking,” Jongdae nodded, “One or two mistakes we may have been able to work with. You have too many.”

“It’s the drug possession that’s probably turning him off the most,” Minseok pointed out.

“I used to run drugs for a big-time dealer. He paid me pretty well for it. I just had to deliver it from point A to point B. Easy enough. Until the day it wasn’t,” Baekhyun said, leaning across the table to take the first shot. He broke well and moved his position to take the next shot.

“According to his records,” Minseok pointed out to Jongdae and Yixing, “He was nine when he got arrested for that.”

“Nine?” Yixing said, his face contorting into a worried expression, “That’s so sad.”

“It wasn’t sad,” Baekhyun said hitting his next ball with ease, “It was a learning experience.”

“He grew up on the streets,” Minseok filled in the blanks. “Orphan. No parents. Had to figure it all out on his own. Probably why you’re good at picking things up.”

“You have to learn quick to survive,” Baekhyun nodded.

“At what age did you become an orphan?” Jongdae asked him.

“Around three,” Baekhyun answered, “The building we lived in wasn’t really up to code standards. One day it caught on fire, thirty-five people died, including my parents. I was sent to an orphanage, then shifted around foster homes until I realized I’d be better off on my own. So, I ran away at 9, started making money by running drugs, and got caught. Got sent back to another foster home, ran away, found another not so great job, got caught, continued the cycle until I figured out how to not get caught.”

“And how old were you when you figured that out?” Yixing asked.

“Sixteen,” Baekhyun beamed proudly, pausing and sighing as he finally missed. “I was getting bored of hitting all the balls. Someone else go.”

Minseok went next, taking over as Jongdae continued to stare at Baekhyun, completely amazed that someone’s life could be so exactly different than his. He had been coddled and cared for his entire life. He couldn’t even imagine what he would have done if he had been in Baekhyun’s situation. It fascinated him.

“Minseok,” Jongdae said as he watched his cousin make the next couple of shots. “Would the cops hire someone with a record to work for them as an undercover?”

“Sure,” his cousin said, lining up his next shot, “Especially someone like Baekhyun who has a juvenile record. He was smart enough to make all his mistakes before it really counted against him.”

“I’m proud of that,” Baekhyun nodded and then laughed.

“So, he could be an undercover?”

“Yep,” Minseok said.

“The dream,” Baekhyun said wistfully. “I really did try to be one, but they didn’t like the identity theft. Out of all the things on my record, that’s what the cops had an issue with. I’m still confused by that.”

Oddly, that was the one that most intrigued Jongdae.

“Which I’m assuming is how you made it into the 8 Club,” Jongdae pointed out.

Baekhyun gave him a large smile, teeth shining and all, then laughed.

“If anyone asks for me, I’m Migos at the 8 Club. I look like a Migos right?”

“Totally,” Minseok said with a laugh.

“What kind of name is that?” Yixing asked.

“I don’t know, but he’s a foreigner that only comes in once in a blue moon, meaning the majority of the staff have no idea what he looks like. Totally works in my favor.”

“You think everything through,” Jongdae observed.

“I try to. It’s impossible to think of everything, but I’ve learned to think of the most pertinent things in a situation, whether it be obvious or not.”

“So, this meeting with us has been very well calculated on your part.”

“Damn it,” Minseok said as he missed, and he nodded to Yixing to go next.

“It has. I was hoping my natural charms could get me a job with a high family. What do you have a need for? I bet I can do it.”

“Not happening,” Minseok said with a laugh before Jongdae could answer. “We’re too suspicious of people who want in. Even if you checked out as not being an undercover, there could be an ulterior motive we didn’t catch. Also, you’re not family, and we only let outsiders in if they show loyalty, something your record doesn’t indicate you know anything about.”

“Hm, I suppose that is a hard one to prove,” Baekhyun nodded as Yixing cleared the table. “How did he prove it?” He asked, motioning toward Yixing. “He’s got an accent. I’m thinking he wasn’t initially part of the family.”

“By being my best friend,” Jongdae said.

“I could be your best friend,” Baekhyun said with a cheesy smile.

“That job is already taken,” Yixing said.

“Not technically. You’re now the advisor. That leaves an opening.”

“Did you win again?” Minseok asked Yixing. “What the hell?”

“I think you guys are getting worse,” Yixing said, racking up the balls.

“He hasn’t even gone yet,” Minseok said motioning toward Jongdae. “You break.”

Jongdae sent the balls flying in rapid movements across the table.

“He’s my advisor and still my best friend,” Jongdae finally followed up on Yixing’s answer as he looked for his best shot. He saw an easy one and took it to get it out of the way, then looked for another.

“Fine, do you guys know of any other high families with job openings? I’ve worn out my welcome at too many of these bars so no one’s letting me take their money anymore.”

“Have you considered getting a real job?” Yixing asked him. “Maybe going to school?”

“Yixing, please,” Minseok said laughing. “Please excuse our advisor. He doesn’t get how the real world works.”

“It’s fine,” Baekhyun said, looking warmly at Yixing. “I had a real job once. I worked as a ticket taker at a movie theater for a week.”

“Why only a week?” Yixing asked him.

“When I realized how little I was getting paid, I bolted and took a better job offer elsewhere.”

“Doing what?”

“Collecting credit card numbers from gullible people that really believed they were purchasing an exclusive 7-day cruise package.”

“I know you may find this hard to believe,” Jongdae said as he methodically hit target after target. “But high families do believe in honor. A lot of what you did at your young age is based on dishonor.”

“A lot of what I did at a young age was based on survival, but you can call it dishonor if you prefer.”

Jongdae cursed when he missed and looked at Baekhyun as he held his stick in front of him, “It’s your turn.”

Baekhyun looked at the setup and assessed the situation, having to lean across the table to take the shot he wanted.

“I’ll give you one chance to prove honesty and loyalty to me,” Jongdae said as he watched Baekhyun hit the balls in perfect order.

“Whoa, wait,” Minseok said, and Jongdae lifted his hand to indicate he needed to stay quiet.

Baekhyun looked at him instead of taking the next shot, and flipped his bangs to the side as he held his stick in front of him as well, mimicking Jongdae.

“Okay,” Baekhyun nodded.

“Tell me what the real reason is that you want to join our family.”

“Ah,” Baekhyun said smiling as he rolled his stick back and forth between his hands. “Why don’t you like my unemployment story? I really am unemployed.”

“I like the truth.”

“Well… I can’t tell you the truth,” Baekhyun admitted, and Jongdae narrowed his eyes a bit. “My reason is my own.” He nodded, seemingly more to himself.

“Are you working for someone?” Jongdae asked, trying to cover his bases as well.

“Not exactly,” Baekhyun said a bit coy. “I tend to work for myself these days.”

“Well whatever you’re up to,” Minseok said, “You’ll have to do it elsewhere.”

“I have a job for you,” Jongdae said and he almost felt the whiplash of Minseok’s head turning fast to look at him.

“Now I know you’ve had too much to drink today,” his cousin said, laying his stick on the table signaling this game was well over.

“I strongly advise against that,” Yixing said, laying down his stick as well.

“What do you need?” Baekhyun said, bouncing on his feet in excitement. “I can do anything. I’m really good at stealing, and doing things stealth, like I can sneak in and out of places really well. I’m also really good with a knife. I did the rent boy thing for a small time if that’s what you’re looking for, but I’ll just tell you off the bat, I’m not working with a lot.”

“Oh my God,” Minseok said, “Just shut up.”

“Meet me at Red for lunch and we’ll talk,” Jongdae said.

“No,” Minseok and Yixing said.

“Can you give us a moment?” Yixing asked Baekhyun, and Baekhyun nodded, finally placing his pool stick down as he went to the bar to get himself a drink.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Minseok asked Jongdae.

“You are in no mindset to make a decision like this,” Yixing added before he could answer. “You’ve had way too much to drink today. You’re not sober enough for this.”

“Which is why I told him I’d talk to him tomorrow,” Jongdae said. “I have a job for him. We’ll pay him cash, keep him off the books, like we do our assassin.”

“What exactly is this job?” Yixing asked.

“Who cares?” Minseok said. “He’s not trustworthy. Look, I like the guy as much as you do, but he’s a con man. And he all but admitted that he’s up to something. We didn’t care for when you brought Yixing in from the outside, but at least he seemed loyal enough. Guys like Baekhyun are only loyal to themselves. You can’t do this.”

“I can do this.”

“Your dad would never allow it.”

“I’ll deal with him.”

“You can’t even deal with him now,” Minseok said and Jongdae glared at him, but Minseok stood his ground, looking mostly worried and concerned.

“What is this job?” Yixing asked again.

“It doesn’t have a title,” Jongdae answered. “I just… need him for something.”

“This is crazy,” Minseok said. “You’re not doing this.”

“You don’t get to decide that,” Jongdae said. “I pick who I need to do what I need to get done. I pick him.”

Jongdae tossed his stick on the table with the others and walked toward the bar where Baekhyun was using his charms on the bartender.

“Be at Red by 12,” Jongdae told him. “And don’t be late.”

“I’ll be there at 11:45, boss,” Baekhyun said with a nod and a big smile. A smile he did not lose when Minseok gave him a glare of his own.

On the car ride home, no one said anything to him and Jongdae was grateful for it. He didn’t have an argument prepared for his decision, which he knew was a dangerous one. He knew trusting Baekhyun was pointless, the man was not trustworthy in the slightest, but he had skills that Jongdae desperately needed to learn, especially if he was going to pull off his ultimate desire to make the Wu family pay.

***

He should have anticipated that Minseok would rat him out first thing in the morning, but Jongdae had at least thought he’d be able to shower and get dressed before the orders came for him to see his father in his office immediately. 

“Okay, first of all, breathe,” Yixing told him, and Jongdae waved him off.

“I can handle this,” Jongdae said. He’d handle it the same way he handled his father’s outburst at his decision to make Yixing his advisor. He just had to remain calm, which would be easier to do if he didn’t have a vicious headache that morning. He really had drunk too much.

He showered and dressed, more for his own peace of mind, and made his way down to his father’s office with Yixing close behind him.

“Good morning,” Jongdae said with a bow toward his father as he entered his office.

Minseok was in the room as well, sitting in the seat by his father’s advisor. Jongdae noticed Minseok had an unreadable expression.

“Good morning?” His father questioned, already seething in his tone.

“You know,” Jongdae began, “I used to remember a time when I wasn’t woken up with the news that I’ve been backstabbed by one of your minions.”

“You’re not being backstabbed,” Minseok said standing up. “People are looking out for you. Don’t make this ugly when it isn’t.”

“Your cousin did you a favor,” his father stated. “Warning us of a foolish decision you made while drunk.”

“It wasn’t a foolish decision,” Jongdae said. “You told me that I needed to assemble my own team for when I become the head of the family. That is what I’m doing.”

“Even that task you can’t complete without putting the whole family in danger. How are you so inept at everything? It is a blessing that you’re no longer studying to be a doctor with your horrible decision-making skills.”

If there was anything Jongdae’s father had learned to do after Mina had died, it was to hit Jongdae where it would hurt him the most. He might as well have used his hand again for that blow.

Jongdae stood still, in silence for a moment, letting the waves of nausea and anxiety wash over him, hoping to calm down for just a bit longer until he could get out of the office.

“Have you nothing to say, yet again?” His father asked him.

“I want him kept off the books. We pay him in cash as we do our assassin,” Jongdae finally said.

“You are not bringing him into the family,” his father said with a stern voice. “There are other family members you can reach out to for whatever purpose you think you need this sewer rat for.”

“He used to be a rent boy. You want a family member to do that job for me?” Jongdae sassed out of habit, and he braced himself for impact.

His father’s eyes looked ready to explode and he stood from behind his desk, moving like a predator to stand in front of his son. Yixing stepped closer to Jongdae, as if prepared to help him up once again should he end up back on the ground.

“I will not let you destroy everything I have built for this family,” his father said, his words intense enough for Jongdae to physically feel. “You don’t care about this family. You only care about yourself. Your actions are going to get everyone killed, and I will not allow that.”

“Your actions have gotten enough of us killed. I’m trying to do the opposite. Just let me do things my way for once. I promise it will work.” Jongdae didn’t realize he could plead so pathetically, but he supposed he could add that to his list of shortcomings as well. There always seemed to be space for one more these days.

“How dare you speak to me in that way?”

“You keep telling me how I’m doing everything wrong! I haven’t done a single thing right yet for you. I’m not Mina. I wasn’t born to do this. I know she was supposed to take over the family. I know that your training of her was perfect and she caused you no headaches. But I’m not her! I’m never going to be her. She left me here to deal with this on my own, so now this is my problem, and all I’m asking is for you to let me deal with it in my own way!”

“I can’t trust you to even go an hour without a drink. What makes you think I would even consider letting you do things your own way? Every day you become more of a disappointment in every aspect.”

Jongdae decided this was the best moment to give up. There was nothing he could do to change his father’s mind, and he was stuck in a family that would betray him and rat him out to his father at any turn. He couldn’t win in a situation like this, and he knew it.

He nodded steadily to his father, and then said, “You’ve made your point clear.”

“Good,” his father said, not retreating. “Then you will no longer entertain this idea of hiring this punk, and you will instead focus on the work you’re supposed to be doing.”

“Yes, sir,” Jongdae stated, not having any more emotions to show.

“Then you may leave.”

Jongdae bowed respectfully and left the office with Yixing close behind. He didn’t even make it to his bedroom before he collapsed in the hallway, gasping for air and begging for this to be the one time that his breath had escaped him for good.

Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t, and when he was on his feet again, his breathing back to normal, he checked the time and set about the plans he had for the day.

“What are you doing?” Yixing asked him when Jongdae had put on his shoes and clipped his gun into its holder.

“I have an appointment.”

“Whoa, wait, Jongdae…”

“I keep my appointments. Can I trust you or do I have to add you to the list of people that will stab me in the back the moment they get a chance to?”

“Don’t do that,” Yixing said shaking his head. “First of all, people aren’t stabbing you in the back. They really are trying to look out for you. And second of all, yes, of course you can trust me. You can always trust me.”

“You’re the only person I believe that to be true of,” Jongdae said, looking into Yixing’s eyes with a look that probably reeked of really needing a friend right now. “I need you to intersect Baekhyun and move him to a new location. Take him to your favorite noodles place. I’ll meet you guys there at noon.”

“Jongdae,” Yixing said, placing a hand on his chest to stop him from forward movement. Jongdae paused and looked Yixing in the eyes, hating that his usual expression of worry was now replaced with fear. “You know what you’re doing right?”

“Of course I do,” Jongdae said, and he gave his friend a nod, stepping away from him so he could leave his room alone.

***

Jongdae did not have an easy time of trying to escape his home alone, his bodyguard insistent on keeping up with him no matter how much he walked around the house and sprinted toward the garages.

“Look, here’s the thing,” Jongdae finally said to him as he stood with the keys to the car that he owned, but rarely had the chance to use. “I need alone time.”

“I have strict orders,” his bodyguard said.

“I’ll deal with the consequences, but you’re not coming.”

“I have no choice.”

Jongdae sighed and unlocked the car, not saying anything as his bodyguard slid into the passenger side.

He drove to the cemetery, needing some time to compose his thoughts before he met with Baekhyun.

“So, I’m about to do something really stupid,” he told Mina, touching his fingertips to her engraved name on her tomb. “I’m hiring another outsider to help me out with some things. He’s probably an undercover, or working for someone that wants us dead, but… I have a feeling about him. Like he’ll help me somehow. He actually reminds me of you in a weird way. A super weird way.”

He took a deep breath before continuing, noticing a fresh bouquet of orange and yellow gladiolus set before Mina’s tomb. He hadn’t had a chance to bring her flowers this time around, and he’d make it up to her next time by bringing her double from the garden.

“He’s reckless, but calculating. Like you were. Full of energy, smart, always looking for the next challenge and adventure. Anyway, he’s nothing like me, but I want him to teach me how to be more like him – I guess, more like you. I wasn’t meant to lead the family, but you didn’t give me any advice before you left, so I’m going to do this. I don’t want to put the family in danger though. Can you give me a sign? Anything? Some direction here? Tell me I shouldn’t do this.”

He waited for an answer, or a sign, or any indication that she would finally help him out for once, but as the cool breeze flowed between him and her tomb, no words were whispered from it, leaving Jongdae empty and as directionless as he had been before visiting.

***

Jongdae parked a few blocks away from the noodle shop and told his security guard to stay put.

He got out, knowing the man would follow, but luckily Yixing had received Jongdae’s text from the cemetery and met him just in time to lean his body against the passenger side car door, giving Jongdae just enough time to make a run for it, rounding several corners and taking a longer way through an alley just in case he had been followed anyway.

He made it into the noodles shop without incident and sat across from Baekhyun, trying to regulate his breathing after his impromptu exercise.

“Hey,” Jongdae said.

“Hey,” Baekhyun said with a big smile. “Are you okay? You look like you ran a race.”

“Water please,” Jongdae said to the waitress that came over to the table. “Yeah, I’m fine. You probably noticed that this plan of ours to meet has turned into a bit of a mess.”

“I did happen to notice.”

“My family won’t allow me to hire you.”

“Ah, I had a feeling.”

“So, I’m going to hire you separately. Like on the side. You don’t work for the family. You don’t interact with other members of the family. You just work for me.”

“I like this better already,” Baekhyun said, eyes shining bright. “So, what do you need me to do?”

“I have spent my whole life, up until last year, being completely sheltered, overprotected, and spoiled by my family. I have no real-world skills. A year ago, I was studying to be a doctor. I had a girlfriend that I knew I would one day marry. My parents were proud of me. My sister doted on me. I didn’t have a single care in the world. My life was the textbook definition of perfect.”

Baekhyun nodded, paying close attention.

“But everything changed after my sister died, and now I’m supposed to be training to run a high family, but I don’t even know how to pick a lock.”

“Do heads of high families do mundane things like pick locks?” Baekhyun asked.

“No, but the point is, it’s not in my personality to do things like that. Which means it’s not in my personality to do things worse than that.”

“You want to hire me to teach you how to do bad things?”

“I know that sounds dumb…”

“No, not at all. It sounds fun. And also like the easiest money I’m ever going to make. I can make you bad in no time.”

“Depending on how it goes, when the time comes, I might need your help for other things. Like things that only you would be able to do.”

“Not a problem,” Baekhyun nodded.

“Do you have a line? Is there something you won’t do no matter how much money I offer?”

“Hm,” Baekhyun said, tapping his finger to his chin as he looked up in thought. He looked back at Jongdae and replied, “I’d rather not have to kill any kids, or cats, or dogs. I really like dogs. I don’t know if I really like cats, but they seem to be on the same level as dogs, right?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Jongdae said, thinking that sounded about right. “Pets in general. Is that it?”

Baekhyun considered the question a bit more then nodded assured.

“Yep, that’s my line. Kids and pets.”

“It sounds like you would have made a good Academy assassin.”

“Nah, they’d kill kids and pets if asked to.”

Jongdae raised his eyebrow, feeling a spark within him.

“Would they? Do you know much about the Academy?”

“I know enough to know they’d take out a kid if you paid them the right price. They’re pretty hardcore.”

“Have you ever tried to fake your way into the Academy?”

“Nooo way,” Baekhyun said laughing. “I know I may have done a lot of bad stuff in my life, but deep down inside I’m still human. To be an Academy assassin, you have to part with all of your humanity.”

“Have you ever met an Academy assassin?”

Baekhyun shook his head.

“Assassins in general, yes, but not an Academy one. They don’t really exist until you need them, you know?”

“Do you know how to hire one?”

“Yes. You don’t. Ever. A good assassin can do a job for you just fine. If you’re looking to hire an Academy assassin, then you’re morally reprehensible, and that’s coming from the most morally reprehensible guy you’ll probably ever meet.”

“I want to learn how to be as good as an Academy assassin.”

“Ah, well that’s a different story altogether. I can help you with that.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not really into guns, but I’ve had some Academy-level training myself. I can definitely help. It’ll be fun.”

“How did you get your Academy-level training?”

“From other non-Academy assassins who have had some Academy-level training. None by the Academy themselves, mind you. But they’re great. And I can teach you what they taught me.”

Jongdae smiled, feeling accomplished by this entire conversation.

“I knew you were the right person for this job.”

Baekhyun gave him a warm smile, cocking his head to the side to look back at him with what Jongdae thought was a bit of fondness.

“So,” Jongdae said clearing his throat and thanking the waitress for his water. He took a sip before he continued, “We’re going to have a hard time meeting alone and without my family finding out.”

“You have a shadow on you at all times. I’ve noticed,” Baekhyun nodded. “Are there places your shadow doesn’t go with you?”

“The bathroom. My bedroom. That’s really it. Unless I’m being accompanied by another security person. However, my bodyguard is relieved of duty at night and at that point the general security is in charge of me.”

“How weird to be someone that needs to be in charged of,” Baekhyun mused.

“I didn’t used to be, but after my sister died, I ended up with a permanent shadow. Anyway, I can sneak out at night and meet you places. It’s our best bet.”

“Just tell me the time and place and I’ll be there, boss.”

Jongdae nodded his head and held his hand out to Baekhyun, who smiled as he shook it, grip firm and warm.

When Jongdae arrived back at his car, his bodyguard was leaning against the hood, arms crossed and looking furious.

“You know I have to tell your dad that you ditched me,” he said.

“Your funeral,” Jongdae shrugged, getting back in the car and waiting for Yixing and his bodyguard to get in the car and fasten up.

“He’s right,” Yixing said, turning to look back at the bodyguard in the backseat. “I don’t think the elder Kim is going to take lightly to you losing his son for…oh about 30 minutes. In fact, I might have to report you to him myself. I bet you were so scared,” Yixing said looking at Jongdae.

“So very scared. It reminded me of that time my sister lost me at the mall when she got distracted by a few friends she ran into there. I think I might be a little traumatized right now.”

“Okay, fine,” his bodyguard said. “We’ll let this one go. But if it happens again, I’ll have no choice.”

Jongdae smirked and started the ignition catching Yixing’s small smile that he hid behind his hand as he looked out the window.

***

When Jongdae arrived back home, he went straight to his room and found his cousin sitting on his bed, playing on his phone.

“Get out,” Jongdae said to him.

Minseok stood up and walked to Jongdae, his expression solemn.

“I’m sorry,” Minseok said.

“No, you’re not,” Jongdae said, walking over to the door to hold it open for him. “Get out.”

“I am,” Minseok said not moving from his spot. “You keep putting people who care about you in very difficult situations. It’s getting really hard to figure out what’s the right thing to do.”

“Not ratting me out to the person that’s going to use it against me to tear me down would be the right thing to do.”

“He’s the head of the family, Dae.”

“You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“It’s the same side,” Minseok said, a hint of frustration seeping through his voice. “Look, I know I’ve broken your trust in me. It sucks, but I will deal with those consequences. I’m still here to help you however you need.”

“You can help by getting out.”

“You went to see him anyway. Didn’t you?”

“Get out.”

Minseok shook his head and looked over at Yixing, who stood stoic, not showing any emotion or saying a word. He walked over to the door and stood before Jongdae again.

“I won’t tell,” Minseok said. “But you’re crazy if you don’t think I’m going to keep my eye on him. If anything were to happen to you because of this, I would never…  Losing Mina was hard enough, okay? Don’t make me go through that again.”

Minseok left and Jongdae closed the door behind him, upset, but too tired to do anything about it. Instead, he collapsed onto his bed and let out the largest sigh he could muster.

***

Jongdae had never spoken to their family’s assassin before and had only seen the man in passing a few times, either leaving his father’s office or finishing up at the gun range for practice. He was only a few years older than him, but Jongdae always thought he looked younger. His father had referred to him once as looking like a baby deer, and Jongdae had always thought the description to be apt.

His name was Lu Han, but he preferred his name pronounced as one, and that is how Jongdae referred to him when he met with him at the gun range that morning.

“Thank you for meeting me this morning,” Jongdae said, after Luhan had sensed his presence and fired off a last shot. Placing his rifle down on the table before him.

Luhan bowed to him in greeting and nodded to Yixing who stood to the side of Jongdae.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” Jongdae insisted, pointing to the chairs nearby. The three of them sat, Jongdae beside Luhan and facing him. “As you know, we’re trying to figure out who is behind the assassination attempt on my father’s life. The Park family is conducting their own investigation and they appear to have a lead. Do you know anything about an assassin named D.O.?”

Luhan seemed surprised by this question and a bit unsure as he asked in return, “The Park family is asking about an assassin named D.O.?” He had a slight accent when he spoke, another foreigner brought into the family, but with his father’s blessing since he had trusted the judgment of their former assassin just fine.

“Yes,” Jongdae answered unsure himself by the reaction. “Is that strange?”

“A bit, considering he was their family’s assassin.”

Jongdae shared a surprised and confused look with Yixing, and Jongdae had the feeling that Chanyeol had played him once again.

“That makes no sense,” Jongdae said. “Then why do they want to know what you know when they would obviously know more about him?”

“The younger Park may not know much about him,” Luhan said. “As you do not know much about me. Still, if they’re asking for information about him, it could be that they’re looking for him and can’t find him. He left the Park family some years ago. I don’t know why.”

“So, they lost an assassin?”

“They did. A really great assassin. They called him D.O. because he was always dead on with his targets. He was known as a natural, and I thought of him as my competition. I would hear stories of how well he would do, and I would make it my goal to be better.”

“Did you ever meet him in person?”

“Only a couple of times. He always looked mean and intimidating. He glared at you regardless if you knew him or not. He was quiet and never said much, even when spoken to. When he did speak, his voice was deeper than you’d expect for someone so young.”

“How young was he?”

“I’m not sure. Younger than me. I think he may be around your age.”

“I’m guessing the Park family wanted me to ask you about him to see if you have any idea where he might be then,” Jongdae figured. It was the only thing that made sense to him.

“I have no clue. I was shocked to learn he was no longer with the Park family. Like I said, he was a natural.”

“Never missed?” Jongdae asked.

“Not in the time I knew about him.”

“Doesn’t sound like the assassin we’re looking for then,” Jongdae said. “Unless he was meant to miss on purpose. Like a warning.”

“Well, your father is under the impression it’s an Academy assassin, but they wouldn’t have missed either. Not even on purpose.”

“Yeah, we’ve been debating that,” Jongdae nodded. “Did you tell that to my father when he asked your advice on the matter?”

“I did, but he was insistent, saying that only the Academy would even attempt to assassinate two heads in one day. I understand he’s been through a lot, so I feel he’s too shaken up by the attempt on his life to think too deeply on this, but I do not believe this was an Academy job.”

“We don’t believe it either,” Jongdae confirmed for him. “At least we’re all on the same page, even if he isn’t. We need to figure out where D.O. is. If we can find that information before the Park family does, then we may have an upper hand in the investigation.”

“An upper hand?” Luhan asked.

“We’re at the mercy of the Park family right now,” Jongdae explained. “But if we have something they need, it gives us bargaining power for asking them for assistance, something our family unfortunately needs right now.”

“Interesting,” Luhan said. “You’re using the investigation on your father’s life as a bargaining chip.”

“I’m looking at the big picture,” Jongdae said, attempting to not get defensive. He supposed it did sound like he was a terrible son, like he didn’t want to find the person responsible for almost killing his father for personal reasons, but Jongdae didn’t want to think too deeply about that, just as his father didn’t want to think too deeply about it either.

“It wasn’t a criticism,” Luhan said. “I rather admire the tactic. I’ll help however I can.”

“Thank you,” Jongdae said. “I do appreciate that. I expect my father will want to meet with you after this. If you could keep your report back to him to the bare facts that would be great.”

“I will tell him what needs to be told to him in a way that will not impede your strategies.”

Jongdae could not look more relieved at that moment, and he nodded to the assassin, thanking him for his time.

As they walked back toward the house, Jongdae asked Yixing for his thoughts.

“It appears you have another ally on your team,” Yixing said. “Luhan seems to believe in you, hence his willingness to help. As for the Park family assassin, maybe your new friend Baekhyun might have some insight as he seems to run with the outcasts.”

“I’ll contact him and find out,” Jongdae said, adding it to his mental to-do list. They walked in silence for a moment before Jongdae spoke again. “I know that my father is having a hard time dealing with having lost my sister,” he admitted. “I know that’s why he’s changed into the person he is now. I know that he’s scared. He’s scared that he’s next, that maybe they’ll come after my mother, that the families will join forces to get rid of us all. Fear is what’s driving everything he does these days. I’m attempting to do the opposite. I want to be fearless, Xing. I need to be fearless.”

Yixing nodded at him and put his arm around Jongdae, giving him a squeeze as they walked.

“I happen to think you are pretty fearless already,” he said to him with a smile.

“Except when it comes to my father.”

“I don’t think that’s true. If you truly feared your father, you wouldn’t talk back to him or attempt to hold your ground as much as you do. You are fearless, Dae. And you’re going to show him you’re capable of being a better head of the family than he ever was.”

Jongdae nodded, not because he believed it, but because he needed it to be true.


	6. (Two Moons)

Kyungsoo had finished making a spicy stew, tasting it to make sure he had the flavor just right, when Baekhyun bounced through the door, full of energy and excitement.

“You’re back early,” Kyungsoo pointed out, holding out the spoon for his friend to taste as well.

“It was an easy day, and an interesting one,” Baekhyun replied, trying it and then fanning his mouth. “That’s hotter than the last time you made it, but it’s good.”

“Too spicy for you?”

“I can handle it,” he stated, “So guess what?”

“The young Kim figured out how to pick a lock?”

“Shush,” Baekhyun said with a laugh. “And nope, even better, he asked me about you.”

Kyungsoo’s brows furrowed as he ladled portions of the stew into two bowls for them.

“How so?”

“So apparently, the younger Park is looking for you, thought the younger Kim might know something through their assassin, which they didn’t, so he asked me if I’d ever heard of an assassin named D.O.”

“And you said?”

“Nope, but I’d ask around. So, do you happen to know an assassin named D.O.?”

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo said, pushing Baekhyun’s shoulder and then handing him his soup.

The two men sat at their small round dining table, the television on as an old movie played in the background. It was one Kyungsoo had seen many times before.

“What did you do all day?” Baekhyun asked him, slurping his stew as if it wasn’t hot and spicy at all.

“More research, more movie watching. I considered doing laundry, but decided to give it another day.”

“It’s always more fun with more clothes to separate,” Baekhyun agreed.

Kyungsoo sighed and after several spoonfuls of stew, said, “I guess I’ll have to pay the young Park a visit.”

“You sure about that? If they think you’re a suspect, they might shoot on sight.”

“They’d want information first, so I’m not too worried about being shot on sight.”

“Fine then,” Baekhyun nodded. “You know what you’re doing. But just remember, the elder Park isn’t well enough yet to protect you, and the young Park has already gotten a reputation for not being as kind and open-minded as his father.”

“Which is better than the young Kim’s reputation,” Kyungsoo pointed out. “You really should help him with that.”

“I plan to,” Baekhyun said with a big smile.

“You’re already getting too attached,” Kyungsoo warned.

“It’s inevitable,” Baekhyun waved off. “I have no family. Latching onto people I like is how I make sure to never feel lonely.”

“You can unlatch from me now thanks,” Kyungsoo teased him with a deadpan look and Baekhyun laughed.

“My latch on you is permanent. If you get shot on sight, make sure they make your grave big enough for the both of us.”

“No,” Kyungsoo said, “I plan on living my afterlife in peace.”

“There’s no fun in that. Your afterlife will be great with me in it.”

Kyungsoo kicked him under the table causing him to yelp and then laugh. Kyungsoo smiled at the laugh knowing deep down inside that Baekhyun was the only reason he never felt lonely.

When Kyungsoo had seen the elder Park last, it had been tearful and full of both pain and relief. He wanted to see him again, to check up on him and make sure he was fine. The news of the attempted assassination had torn through Kyungsoo’s chest, and he was sure his heart had stopped beating for a moment.

He vowed at that moment to do what he could to find the person responsible, and having Baekhyun infiltrate the Kim family to keep an ear out for what they knew was just part of his plan. The other part of his plan involved infiltrating the Park family as well, but he had been hoping he could figure out the puzzle without having to revisit that part of his life he had left behind. Unfortunately, that part of his life had come looking for him instead.


	7. (Waning Gibbous)

Chanyeol was woken up by a phone call, the sun barely beginning to rise as he blinked his eyes a few times before finally able to keep them open. He checked his phone to see it was Jongin.

“It’s early,” Chanyeol answered, his voice groggy and deep and still full of sleep.

“I thought I’d let you know about something before you turned on the news, or got called by Junmyeon. Something crazy went down last night and we had to take out a cop.”

Chanyeol sat up straight in the bed, holding the phone closer to his ear as he pulled the blanket off from over him and tried to get out of the bed without waking up Sehun.  He grabbed his boxers on the way to the living room, stumbling to get them on as he spoke with Jongin.

“What happened?”

“We got a tip off from our guy at the precinct about an upcoming raid that was planned against several families. They claim they found a money connection, which is bullshit. It’s clear they set something up and found a way to frame everyone around it. Crooked cops are the worst.”

“Jongin, get to the point.”

“Anyway, we confronted the guy in charge of the raid, and not only did we get him to admit that the whole thing was a set up, but we found out that the order had come from up high. Like head of the precinct high.”

“How did the cop end up dead?”

“Well, like I said, he was acting under head of the precinct orders, so we had to send a message.”

“Fuck, are you kidding me?”

“We can’t have the head guy thinking he can scare us. We found out his plan, we sent him a message to not try a stunt like that again.”

“Wasn’t thwarting the plan enough? Now they’re going to probably counterattack or worse, find you and lock you up for killing one of theirs.”

“Thwarting the plan doesn’t send a message. We have to remind them that they’re playing games with the wrong family. They can try that on other families, but not ours. Anyway, thought you should know. I’ll let you get back to sleep.”

Jongin hung up before Chanyeol could say anything else, and as if it had been planned, Junmyeon called right after.

“Did Jongin call you yet?”

“Yes. Is he crazy?”

“He’s Jongin. I’ll be at the office in fifteen.”

“Yeah, okay,” Chanyeol said, hanging up.

He went back to the room to find Sehun rustling awake, rubbing his eyes and looking at him as he blinked a few times.

“You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah, work,” Chanyeol stated, pulling his jeans on and looking around for where his shirt could have landed.

“I should go too then. School,” he said sitting up and stretching his arms up.

“I’ll make sure there’s a car waiting to take you home,” Chanyeol said.

“I can take care of that,” Sehun said. “You look like you have something on your mind.”

He found his shirt and tugged it on, sitting on the bed to get his socks back on.

“Nothing for a four-night stand to worry about,” Chanyeol said briskly.

“The fact that you’re counting all of our encounters makes it seem like you care,” Sehun pointed out.

“I’m used to keeping track of things,” Chanyeol stated. “Don’t get too excited about it.”

“Will it be a five-night stand tonight?” Sehun asked, and Chanyeol looked over his shoulder to see the young man, on his side with his head propped on his hand and staring at him.

“I’ll let you know,” Chanyeol said, leaving him alone in the room.

He had his driver hurry back to his home, checking in on Taemin’s sleeping form before heading to the office and taking a seat at the desk. Junmyeon had already been sitting in the office, waiting for him.

“This could have been done without a cop being killed right?” Chanyeol asked him.

“Probably, but if the force is getting more brazen and trying to set up and round up multiple families at once, then they are too confident. I think he was right in sending them a message. I’m not sure of a better one that could have been sent.”

“But they’re going to retaliate.”

“That’s not how they work really,” Junmyeon explained. “They’re not a high family. They’re less about retaliation and more about making sure they have the right ducks lined up to go for the overall kill. They have paperwork to file and higher ups to answer to and a bunch of bureaucracy to fight through before they can take any sort of action. That’s why we’re not particularly worried about them. Jongin said he handled the previous situation and got us new cops, this is a message for them as well.”

“So, this is okay?”

“This is okay,” Junmyeon confirmed.

“This is the part of this job I hate.”

“I know.”

“I can’t sit at a desk every day hearing about how we killed someone. Someone who probably had a family back home waiting for him.”

“Someone who was looking to take down our family.”

“You guys said it yourselves. He was just following orders.”

“And so was Jongin,” Junmyeon reminded him, and Chanyeol swallowed, trying to not delve too much into the thoughts of what it had meant when he had told his cousin to take care of the situation.

“I need this to be over,” Chanyeol sighed. “I have to get me and Taemin out of here. I’m thinking back to how old I was when I started realizing what our family did for a living, and I don’t think it was too much older.”

“Your father is looking much better these days,” Junmyeon said with a warm smile. “I hope you get your wish soon.”

“You’ll be happy to be dealing with him instead of me huh?” Chanyeol asked with a chuckle.

“I’ve been enjoying this actually,” Junmyeon said. “It’s a change of pace, and it’s giving me a chance to get to know you better. Your father talks about you a lot, so in a way it was like I sort of knew you, but didn’t really know you.”

“Does he talk about how he wishes I’d just come home and stop acting like a spoiled kid?”

“No, I mean, yes, he does talk about how he wishes you’d come home, but he’s really proud of you. He always speaks proudly of you to anyone that comes in this office. Other heads of families, or business partners, they ask how you’re doing. They know it makes your father happy to talk about you, so they bring you up a lot to get on your father’s good side. He tells them that you’re well, you’re off being your independent self, making your own mark in the world, and of course, his favorite thing to say, that you’re being a great dad to his amazing grandson.”

“My dad and I aren’t similar. I’m more like my mom in a lot of ways,” Chanyeol said. “She understands me really well. My dad doesn’t always understand me, but he always tries.”

He sighed and looked out the window for a moment, the blinds up, an oversight perhaps on the maid’s part when she came in to clean last. But he enjoyed the view, looking out across the grounds of the family’s estate.

“He does always try,” Junmyeon confirmed. “I think he admires the parts of you that are different from him. In a way, it feels he’s often trying to learn you, maybe to learn from you as well.”

“I wonder, if I had had an older sister, and she had been killed, if my father would have turned into a hateful person like the elder Kim.”

“It’s hard to say. Tragedies affect people differently. But I know that no matter what, deep down inside, your father would still have loved you unconditionally. Whether he continued to show it or not.”

Chanyeol blinked away his memories and shook his head, turning his focus back on Junmyeon as he began the rundown of the day’s business.

***

“This is four nights now you’ve not slept at home,” his mother pointed out during breakfast.

“This is a conversation we’re not having, especially in front of my son,” Chanyeol retorted as he ate some rice. Taemin had already gotten bored of his food and was playing with a small car that he was zooming around his plate.

“It’s good for you to remember that you’re still young,” his mother said warmly.

“I’m not going to remember that until I’m back home. At my home. Or, I guess, my new home that I’ll have to find.”

“It’ll be soon,” she said with a nod as she blew on her spoonful of soup before eating it, “Your father is doing so much better.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“Daddy,” Taemin said standing up in his chair and putting the car on Chanyeol’s arm. “Can I go to the zoo with grandma?”

“No, but if you want to go to the zoo, I can take you on Saturday.”

“But I want to go today.”

“I could take him…” his mother began and Chanyeol shook his head to cut her off.

“You know you have to stay here in the house when daddy’s working,” he explained for the millionth time to his son, and Taemin let out a whine.

“Noo, I want to go to the zoo.”

“Chanyeol,” his mother said. “We can take a bodyguard with us. It will be fine.”

“It won’t be fine. If I’m the head, that makes him a primary target, and I don’t know if you heard the news this morning, but today is not a good day for this.”

“Daddy!” Taemin said, stomping his foot.

“Not today. I’ll take you Saturday. It will be fun,” he tried, but he knew this was going to turn into a bad tantrum already.

“No today!” He said, stomping his foot again and hitting his car against his arm.

“Hey, don’t do that,” he said, snatching the car away from him. “You don’t hit daddy.”

“I want to goooo.”

“Sit and finish your breakfast.”

“Nooo!” Taemin screeched.

“Why are you acting like this?” He asked him, feeling his own anxiety rise. “Do you want grandma to see you like this? And here she thought you were a good boy.”

“I am a good boy,” he said with indignation. “I go now to the zoo with grandma.”

“We can take grandma with us on Saturday when we go.”

“I don’t wanna stay in the house today!” Taemin screeched again.

“You can play outside later.”

“No!”

“Okay, we’re not getting anywhere with this,” Chanyeol said. “Are you going to sit and eat your breakfast?”

“No!”

“Okay, then I’ll tell Anya to come and get you since you’re done.”

“Anya will take me to the zoo, daddy?”

“No, she’s going to take you to your playroom.” Chanyeol said, as he sent her a message to come get Taemin.

“No!”

“If you want to go the zoo on Saturday, then you need to be good right now and sit down.”

“I go today!” His screech pierced his ear and Chanyeol was too late in covering it. He let out a large sigh and made sure that whatever he did, he didn’t look at his mother. He really wished his son would save the tantrums for when they were alone and away from judging eyes.

Anya arrived and took a crying Taemin out of the room, and Chanyeol let out yet another deep breath.

“He’s stubborn,” his mother said, but she looked at him with a smile, “Just like you.”

Just like his mother as well, Chanyeol thought, but he kept that private thought to himself. He focused on eating his rice instead.

“A boy that age needs to get out of the house more,” his mother stated. “I know your concerns, but you can’t have him cooped up here out of fear.”

“When we’re out of here in a couple of weeks, he can return to his normal life. For now, he stays in the house where it’s safe, unless I’m with him.”

“He’s safe with me as well, and our bodyguard,” his mother said. “As safe as he is with you, maybe even safer since I’m not as high of a target of interest. At the very least, let me take him to the park nearby today. It’s not far and it will make him forget all about the zoo, at least for now.”

“Not today,” Chanyeol said finishing his rice and wiping his mouth. He excused himself from the table, giving a kiss to his mother’s cheek before leaving to tackle his meetings for the day.

***

Chanyeol did not want all the details from Jongin of what had transpired during the night, but he knew he had to sit there and listen to it. Not for the first time, Chanyeol wondered how Jongin could be so calm in a high-pressure situation, and so relaxed sitting in a chair after having killed a man. Chanyeol’s mind could not compute.

“I trust you,” Chanyeol finally told Jongin. “If you tell me you did what you had to do and the situation is taken care of, then that’s that.”

Jongin nodded, seeming to sense how uncomfortable Chanyeol felt.

“The protection of the family is always my first consideration,” Jongin told him as he stood up, knowing his time was done with his cousin. “Just know that about me okay?”

“I do,” Chanyeol assured him, though the reminder did ease his worries some.

“I can have the maid bring you some tea if you like,” Junmyeon said after Jongin left the room. “You look like you could use something to relax you.”

“I’m fine. It’s weird. Everyone thinks my cousin and I are a lot alike, but I don’t think I could ever do what he did.”

“You’re a lot alike, but not exactly alike. It just so happens that your differences are extreme. You do know though, that if the situation should arise, you may have to kill someone, right?”

“I’m hoping to get out of here before that situation arises,” Chanyeol stated.

In all honesty, Chanyeol wasn’t sure he would be able to. He had practiced hard at the gun range when he was younger when his father thought he was finally old enough to learn to shoot. He hadn’t mastered it quite at first, but after some time, he had become a steady shot. But it was easy to practice on things that weren’t alive.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and the security guard peeked his head in.

“You have an unannounced visitor saying he needs to speak with the young Park.”

“Unannounced visitor?” Chanyeol asked, looking at Junmyeon, who shrugged and looked at the security guard.

“He wouldn’t give his name, just said he needed to speak with you, and then he added that he had heard a rumor that you wanted to speak with him.”

“Did you check him out?” Junmyeon asked.

“Yes, he checked out. We found nothing on him.”

“Then I guess let him in?” Chanyeol asked, not having encountered a situation like this before.

Judging from Junmyeon’s lost expression, he hadn’t either.

“This was not part of the schedule,” Junmyeon said, looking at his tablet that he liked to reference when he wanted to check up on the events of the day.

The door opened again and a brooding, young man walked in, hair dark and cropped close to his head with short bangs bringing out the round, brown eyes beneath them.

“We weren’t expecting you…” Junmyeon greeted the man, giving him a chance to say his name.

“D.O.” Chanyeol said for him.

When the family’s assassin had given him an explanation of his appearance, Chanyeol had envisioned something completely different than what stood before him, but he knew now what their assassin had meant when they said that their former young assassin could kill with a single look.

“I heard you were looking for me,” D.O. said, only then bowing to Chanyeol and stepping forward, closer to the desk.

His voice was much deeper than Chanyeol had expected, even though he had been warned about that as well. He was also smaller than he was expecting, almost like a tiny human that needed to be coddled and taken care of, certainly not the stature he expected for a natural born assassin.

“Who did you hear that from?” Chanyeol asked, motioning for the man to take a seat.

“It doesn’t matter,” D.O. said, sitting upright in the chair with his hands folded on his lap, as if he was a student in class, ready to pay attention. “What did you need to see me about?”

Chanyeol could not look away from the intensity of his eyes, almost as if D.O. was taking this moment to plot out how best to assassinate him while he sat there. It sent a small chill down his spine and Chanyeol sat up straighter as well to face him.

“Do you know that an attempt was made on my father’s life?”

“Yes. I was very hurt to hear the news. Is he doing better?”

“He is. Much better. I’ve recently discovered that you left the family. Why was that?”

“Do you think I’m responsible for the attempt on your father?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

“Is this as far as you’ve gotten in your investigation of the matter?”

“No, but you are naturally a suspect.”

Chanyeol did not like feeling like he was the one being interrogated here. How cocky was this man to walk into his father’s office and answer his questions with questions?

“If I’m a suspect, then your investigation hasn’t even started,” D.O. said.

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at him.

“Our investigation is going fine. We’re covering all our bases. Why did you leave the family?”

“That is between your father and I. May I see him?”

“No.”

D.O.’s expression did not change, and he continued to stare at Chanyeol, his eyes squinting slightly.

“That is too bad. I miss him very much. Could you at least pass along my wishes of a speedy recovery to him?”

“Not unless you tell me why you left the family.”

“A ‘no’ then,” D.O. said, staring.

“We have ways of making you talk,” Chanyeol said, knowing he sounded stupid as he said it. But he had not been prepared for this visit, and was certainly not prepared for the way the man in front of him acted and spoke.

“You can feel free to use them, but they’d be a waste of your time. Is there anything else you wanted from me, or should I leave now?”

He didn’t want him to leave. D.O. had been the first piece of information that had made Chanyeol think they may be on to something. It seemed stupid to let him just leave without having found out anything of substance.

“I will flat out ask you, did you have anything to do with the assassination attempt on my father?”

“No.”

“Did you have anything to do with the assassination attempt on the elder Kim?”

“No.”

“Can you prove either of these things?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I never miss.”

He said it like had said everything else, evenly and without emotion, and Chanyeol had the feeling that he was telling the truth.

“Then I would like to reinstate you to the family.”

Junmyeon’s eyebrows raised as he looked at Chanyeol, but Chanyeol kept his attention on D.O.

“I’m honored by your generosity,” D.O. said, not looking honored at all. “But I have left that life behind.”

How lucky for him, Chanyeol thought.

“It would only be temporary,” Chanyeol explained. “We need help with our investigation and we could use your insights.”

“You already have an assassin that could provide insights.”

“Yes, but we need all the help we can get. You will work directly with our security team and assassin in this ongoing investigation.”

“I have not agreed to do this.”

“You leaving this family is a debt that needs to be repaid. Repay it by helping us. You did pledge your loyalty to us once before. You should have realized then that it means you’re never really out of the family. Unless we kill you, of course.”

D.O. did not reply and instead stared at Chanyeol, eyes narrowing a bit and blinking a couple of times.

Chanyeol did not look away, meeting the intense gaze in the challenge presented to him, waiting for the other man to accept his fate.

“I will help on behalf of your father. I will only work for him, not for you. Once we have found the person responsible, I will disappear again, and you will never ask for me to return.”

“I’m the head of the family right now, you will work for me, but if you want to think of it as working for my father, then by all means.”

“I will only work for your father, but if you want to think of it as working for you, then by all means.”

Chanyeol found that he wanted to strangle him, or at the very least choke him until he went blue in the face. Perhaps this had been the reason his father had let him leave.

“You will show me respect,” Chanyeol stated. “And you will not speak to me in that way again. Is that understood?”

D.O. said nothing and Chanyeol really wanted to choke him, or at the very least throw a Taemin-style temper tantrum. He accepted the silence as an affirmation and moved on.

“I take it you know the way around. Go report to your former mentor and have him get you up to speed. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”

“Can I see your father now?”

“No. Not until this is done and you’ve repaid your debt.”

“Are we done then?”

“Yes, you may go now.”

Chanyeol watched as D.O. stood and bowed to him, then left the room.

“Okay, not what I was expecting to happen,” Junmyeon said. “But I’ll take it.”

“I wasn’t expecting it either. I don’t know what I was expecting,” Chanyeol said still staring at the spot where D.O. had sat. He couldn’t get the image of the small brooding man out of his mind. “I have no idea what to make of him other than the fact that he’s rude and treats me with no respect.”

“He does however seem to have respect for your father, which is strange considering he left.”

“We need to find out why,” Chanyeol said. “And I’d also like to find out how he knew that we were looking for him.”

“A very mysterious man, our friend D.O.,” Junmyeon said with a slightly impressed look upon his face. “Are you sure you trust him to do this?”

“No, but it’s a risk worth taking. Keep him close and keep an eye on him.”

Junmyeon nodded and Chanyeol tried to move on to the next order of business, but all he kept thinking about was that he had never seen anyone as intense as D.O. in his life, and all he had done was sit there and speak with an even tone.

***

Sometimes when Chanyeol looked at his son, he could see the face of his son’s mother staring back at him, and it always made him pause for a moment, to collect his thoughts and focus back on the reality around him.

“Did you have a good day?” Chanyeol asked him, as he prepared Taemin for bed and picked up the book they were currently reading together before bed.

“No,” Taemin sulked, holding his stuffed animal monkey close to him as he lay in bed ready for story time.

“Were you good for Anya today?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then we’ll go to the zoo on Saturday, okay?”

“No. I go with grandma and Jongin.”

Chanyeol sighed and opened the book, staring at it, unable to start right away as he tried to think of how to handle this situation. Protecting his son had been a lot easier back before he started formulating opinions of his own.

“You used to like going to the zoo with me,” Chanyeol said, “You don’t want to go to the zoo with me anymore? Remember how I hold you high so you can say hi to the giraffe? You don’t want to do that?”

“Yeah,” Taemin said dragging out the word, “But I want grandma and Jongin to go too.”

“We can do that. We can all go on Saturday.”

“Tomorrow.”

This would all be so much easier if he had a partner to shoulder half the responsibility of his son with. He supposed that was the best argument for commitment and marriage there could be. But even then, he knew that wouldn’t be happening for him, so he was going to have to figure out how to handle these things and worse on his own. He could only imagine with the stubbornness Taemin had inherited from both parents that this was the tip of the iceberg when it came to future issues with him.

He tried to think back to how his own parents had dealt with him, but his memories didn’t seem to go back as far as Taemin’s age. His parents had always been kind with him, but firm. He’d been spanked a lot for his mischievous nature when he was a child, but the older he got, his parents either tried to talk to him or grounded him in some way. Taemin seemed too young for grounding and talking wasn’t getting him anywhere.

“Okay, daddy,” Taemin said out of nowhere, and Chanyeol looked at him. “We go Saturday.”

Chanyeol blinked, wondering what miracle had occurred during those silent moments he had been thinking, but he smiled and leaned down to place a kiss on Taemin’s head.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun,” Chanyeol said. “I promise. And maybe if you ask nicely, Jongin will hold you up high for the giraffe.”

“No, you do it.”

Chanyeol smiled and nodded, then turned his attention to reading his son his bedtime story.

***

Chanyeol had Junmyeon call the Kim family and leave a message to let them know they had resolved the issue with D.O. and that they no longer required their assistance. He didn’t feel like giving Jongdae that news himself, knowing his former friend would not take it well.

After Junmyeon had left the message, the two headed to a lunch meeting where Chanyeol looked over the latest plans of his father’s hotel. To him, it looked to be coming along fine, but he knew his father would normally have some creative genius and would probably want something changed or improved. This was frustrating to him as he could see nothing that stood out to him and nothing he could weigh in on.

“You’ve worked with my father before on other projects,” he said to the engineer and architect before him. “You know him better than I do when it comes to this. Would he be happy with what you’ve shown me today?”

The two professionals looked at each other and then the architect spoke.

“Your father had approved this design prior to the incident. He seemed very excited about it. The few modifications we made were with him in mind, so yes, I think he would be happy with these plans.”

“Then you can move forward with them. But just keep in mind that he’s getting better each day, so when he sees what you’ve done, if he doesn’t like it, you’re going to have to deal with that, and I don’t think that burden should fall on him,” Chanyeol hinted.

“Understood,” the architect said. “Of course, should your father not like the modifications or come up with new ones he’d prefer, we would comply right away.”

Chanyeol raised his eyebrow since his hint had clearly not been strong enough.

“At no extra charge of course,” the architect added.

“That’s good,” Chanyeol said nodding. “An architect of your caliber should know what your client expects. I imagine there will be no issues then.”

He excused them from their meeting and once they had left the restaurant, he placed his arms on the table and rested his head on them, sighing a bit overdramatically.

“You handled that the best you could,” Junmyeon assured him.

“I’ve just decided I’m going back to my original plan of becoming a school teacher,” Chanyeol said, lifting his head and pouring himself whatever wine remained in the bottle they had ordered for the meeting.

“That’s nice,” Junmyeon nodded, looking amused.

“You find it funny, but I’m serious. It’s the perfect job for me, plus I’d get winter, spring and summer break, which means I could do cool trips with Taemin before he gets old enough to not want to do cool trips with his old man.”

“Yes, his old man who will be in his thirties by then. So old.”

“The point is, in a couple of weeks, my dad’s going to be doing these boring meetings, which means I need to start looking for a place to move into.”

“Chanyeol…”

“And then, I’m going to go back to school and finish my degree, and then I’ll start looking at preschool options for Taemin.”

“Chanyeol,” Junmyeon said, his eyes wide as they tended to be when he spoke about serious things, “It’s not going to be a couple of weeks. You know that. I know you’re trying to put it in the atmosphere and make it a reality, but you have months ahead of you. And the sooner you accept that, the better you will be at making decisions that affect both you and your son, not to mention the family.”

“My father is recovering well.”

“He is, and we are blessed that he is. But he hasn’t even gotten well enough to start physical therapy yet, and you know once he does, that physical therapy itself takes time. You need to prepare yourself for the reality you’re in right now. You’re going to be doing this for months. I don’t know how many months, but I know it’ll be at least two, probably three.”

Chanyeol swallowed his wine and looked at the empty glass, wanting to throw it somewhere, but instead just swiveling it back and forth with his hand.

“I need to get out of this,” Chanyeol stated, then he looked at Junmyeon. “As my advisor, please tell me there’s a contingency plan. Please tell me that there’s a backup. I mean, what if I were to be taken out by a rival family tonight? Who would be in charge of the family then?”

“At that point it would fall on your cousin to run the family until a suitable replacement could be found.”

“A suitable replacement? Are we going to create a Park out of thin air? Do we have an extra family member I don’t know about in storage somewhere?”

“It could be Jongin himself, or someone else in the family that is not of blood.”

“So, it could be you?”

“Only if the last surviving blood relative decided it.”

“So, if I die, and Jongin takes over, Jongin could pick you to run the family?”

“Yes.”

“So, if I leave, and Jongin takes over…”

“The situation doesn’t matter. If Jongin takes over, Jongin will run the family. He would want the job.”

“Yeah, but you’re a better option.”

Junmyeon shook his head and Chanyeol could see the blush forming on his advisor’s high cheekbones.

“I’m not interested in the job,” Junmyeon stated. “Jongin would be… well not the ideal candidate to take over, but I would do my best to advise him so that the family remained strong and powerful.”

“If he kept you on as advisor.”

Junmyeon nodded. “That’s a good point. He could relieve me of my duties and choose an advisor more to his liking.”

“What would you do if that happened?”

“I’d return to law. Maybe settle down and get married, have some kids, maybe a dog and a cat.”

“Are you holding off on those things because of what you do now?”

“For a little bit,” Junmyeon nodded. “Or forever. I do understand you, Chanyeol. Especially as an advisor. We don’t carry, so we’re a bit more exposed. I don’t particularly care to put a family through what I went through when my dad was killed.”

“We could get you a gun,” Chanyeol told him.

“That would send the wrong message to the other families,” Junmyeon reminded him, and Chanyeol nodded, always struggling to remember the unwritten rules of polite high family conduct.

Advisors were akin to diplomats in their world, and they were the only members of high families outside of the head of the family that were able to visit with other heads and deliver messages without fearing harm. Part of being given this exception was the common rule among the high families that advisors would never be armed, and therefore would pose no harm to the other family should they visit or run into them out in the world. For this reason, advisors were protected under an agreement signed by all the powerful high families, and to kill an advisor would mean an instant war between the two affected families.

The death of Junmyeon’s father had sparked a war between the Park family and the Lee family that had left the Lee family reeling. Years later, the Lee family were still attempting to rebuild back to their original status. Chanyeol had already left home by then, and he remembered being scared for his family, and having to rely on updates from Jongin. It was the only time that Chanyeol had not minded his father sending out security to keep an eye on him.

“But you like doing this,” Chanyeol said. “Right? Like you wouldn’t want to leave your position as advisor.”

“I like doing this very much,” Junmyeon nodded. “I’m happy here, doing this. And I’m lucky that I was born already part of this family.”

“Next time Jongin drags me out to the club, you should come along so we can get you a two-night stand as well.”

“Aren’t you on a four-night-stand status with the sophomore now?”

“I don’t know. I’m not counting.”

“You’re…you’re totally counting.”

“I’m not actually…”

“Yes, you are.”

“You know what it is?” Chanyeol tried to defend, “It’s more like a countdown. Like, when we get to 10, I’m going to have Jongin find me someone else. I think a 10-night limit is reasonable for a one-night stand. Right?”

Junmyeon blinked at him and sucked his lips in, looking like he was trying to avoid laughing in Chanyeol’s face.

“We should head back,” Junmyeon said.

“It’s okay. I know I’m right,” Chanyeol said getting up from the table. Either way, it had to be right, because the last thing he was going to do was get too comfortable with a rainbow-haired sophomore.


	8. (Waxing Crescent)

Jongdae sat at the breakfast table in the kitchen, eating rice and looking up information on bank accounts. In order to pay Baekhyun, he’d have to use cash, and it had to come from an untraceable place. Their family’s accountant was a very loyal servant to his father, so if Jongdae started making regular cash withdraws from any of his own accounts, it would be reported to his father and the older man would have no trouble putting the pieces together.

He considered giving Yixing a “raise” or the impression of one, having the difference given to him by his advisor, but Yixing’s bank account was also monitored by the accountant and Jongdae didn’t want to take the risk, especially since his advisor would be implicated as well.

“Good morning,” his mother said, sitting at the table, facing him, with a cup of tea in her hands.

Jongdae looked up at her and nodded, “Morning,” he said back.

“It’s been some time since we’ve had breakfast together. You don’t mind the company do you?”

He had been busy, but the laptop in front of him had apparently not triggered that thought in his mother. He sighed, pushing it to the side so he could eat and give his mother some of his time.

“I hope you’re having more than tea for breakfast,” he said.

“I’m having some of the rice as well,” she replied, and the maid brought over a bowl for her soon after.

They ate in silence for a few moments before his mother spoke again.

“How are you doing?”

“The same as usual,” he replied. “How about you?”

“The same as usual,” she said as well, and she looked at him for a moment. “I’m grateful for your soberness this morning. It makes it easier to talk to you.”

“I had a lot of work to do this morning and needed to focus,” he said. “I do know how to focus when I have to.”

“I wasn’t saying it in a mean way,” his mother said. “I just enjoy talking to you with ease, instead of worry and uncertainty. I miss talking to you. We used to talk all the time before things became dark.”

They did used to talk a lot. Jongdae always liked to talk in general, so any audience he could find he was more than happy to utilize. He’d tell his mom about his day, not leaving out any detail, letting her know how class went, what he learned, who he had hung out with, even what he ate. Oversharing had never bothered him back when he had no cares in the world.

“What do you want to talk about?” He asked her.

“Nothing in particular. I did hear however that you’re upset with your cousin. I hope that can be resolved soon. It’s important that you have each other during these times.”

“Did he tattle to you as well?”

“Minseok talks to me often. He says he finds it easier to talk with me than to his own parents.  He didn’t give me any details. He just said that he didn’t know how to handle certain things anymore. He’s very worried about you.”

“Yes, everyone is,” Jongdae said, shaking his head in annoyance. “I’ve heard.”

“Then help your cousin out,” his mother said. “Don’t give him reasons to worry about you.”

“It would be easier if everyone followed my father’s lead and stopped caring about me altogether,” Jongdae shrugged.

“Your father has changed,” his mother said. “He is not the same man he was before, but don’t for a second think he’s stopped caring about you.”

“I know you want to believe that a caring individual still exists inside of him,” Jongdae said, looking right at his mother. “But it doesn’t. Mina was always his favorite, so she took him with her when she left, and he went with her willingly because that was the child he loved.”

“Do not say things like that,” his mother said, reprimanding him with her tone, “Your father loved both of you equally.”

“No, he didn’t. Mina was like him. I was his exact opposite. His disappointment.”

“How do you sit there and pretend you never knew your father at all?” She asked him, her eyes turning stern. “Is it because erasing the truth of the past helps you to better accept the father you have now? It changes nothing. Your father loved you and your sister both equally. The both of you were perfect to him, and he treated you both like the most precious gifts in the world. Maybe it hurts you too much to remember that.”

It’s not how remembered it. He always remembered his father spending more time with his sister, while he spent more time with his mother. He also always remembered that during dinners, when he would chatter away about everything on his mind, his father would not pay attention, but when Mina spoke, he always made sure to acknowledge her words. 

“Maybe you wanted to believe that’s how things were, but they weren’t,” he said. “The point is, my real father left with his favorite child, and now I’m stuck here with an abusive tyrant that is determined to make my life a living hell.”

His mother shook her head at him, and he could see her eyes had moistened.

“He blames himself,” his mother said. “That’s why he’s doing this. He blames himself for Mina’s death. He’s scared of losing you too. He’s trying to toughen you up, but he doesn’t know how to. I told him I don’t agree with his tactics, but he blames himself so much that he says he has no choice.”

“He’s trying to toughen me up,” Jongdae repeated with a bitter tone. He almost laughed.

“He’s scared of losing you,” his mother reiterated. “He loves you so much.”

Jongdae grabbed the laptop and stood up from his chair.

“If believing that fantasy is what helps you make it through the day,” Jongdae said to his mother, “Then keep it to yourself. I don’t have time for those types of lies.”

He left his mother, feeling bad that he had ruined her hopeful moment of conversation, but it hadn’t been his fault that her chosen topics of conversation had been his least favorite ones.

***

Jongdae reduced the pressure on the slim metal in his hand and moved the other metal piece just as Baekhyun had instructed him. Within moments, he had successfully picked his first lock.

“Wait, that was it?” Jongdae asked when the door opened.

“That was it,” Baekhyun nodded with a smile. “Told you it was easy.”

“If it’s so easy, why doesn’t everyone do it?”

“Because people like to believe in the illusion of security,” Baekhyun nodded. “Now do it again.”

He locked the door again for Jongdae, and Jongdae went through the steps that he had been taught, getting the right feel again of the metal in the lock and not applying too much pressure. That had been important, Jongdae remembered. He unlocked the door again, taking him even less time than the first.

“I can’t believe it’s that easy,” Jongdae said shaking his head.

“Most bad things are easy to do,” Baekhyun told him. “As long as no one’s around to catch you.”

Baekhyun pushed the door wider and stepped in, motioning for Jongdae to follow.

“Is this your place?” Jongdae asked him.

“No.”

“Whose place is it?”

“Don’t know,” Baekhyun shrugged, “But we should check it out since we’re in and see if we find anything good.”

“Whoa, no,” Jongdae said shaking his head. “We can’t do this.”

“We’re already doing this. You picked the lock and got us in. Now come on.”

Jongdae’s heart sped up and he debated running in the opposite direction, but instead he closed the door behind him and hurried up to catch up with Baekhyun who was already looking through kitchen drawers.

“What are you looking for?” Jongdae asked him.

“Anything of interest really. Like look,” Baekhyun said holding up a wooden spoon that had a dog carved into it. “This is cute!”

“Stop. Put that away. We didn’t come here to steal things.”

“It’s part of your training. You have to steal something in this house. And make sure it’s something interesting.”

“I’m not stealing anything.”

“Yes, you are. And if I were you, I would hurry. It’s not like we know what time these people get home.”

Jongdae felt his anxiety and panic start to set in, and he looked back toward the door, almost envisioning the knob turning as someone walked in. His breathing began to become erratic and he knew he was two seconds away from having a complete panic attack. He bolted back to the door, dropping the metal tools on the floor in his haste and opened it, running down the alleyway as fast as he could, fearing that people were following him.

He collapsed onto the sidewalk, not able to breathe anymore, and wheezed on his hands and knees, trying to find a deep breath.

This had been a stupid idea. Why had he thought he could ever do something like this? He didn’t have it in him. Mina would have done it just fine, probably enjoying the tutorial and walking out with something she really liked. This was why she had always been his father’s favorite.

“Hey, are you okay?”

He heard Baekhyun’s voice, but he couldn’t focus on where it had come from.

He felt a pair of arms around him, and next thing he knew, he was leaning back against someone, hands rubbing his chest and back as he was instructed to breathe.

It wasn’t Yixing’s calming voice or gentle hands, but Jongdae imagined it was, as he closed his eyes and tried really hard to gain control, and finally his wheezing turned into heavy regulated breaths.

“Let’s get you coffee,” Baekhyun said after a moment, and Jongdae nodded, feeling limp as Baekhyun helped him up.

They took the subway down a few stops to a bustling area that still had many eateries and coffee shops open late at night.

Baekhyun instructed Jongdae to sit while he went to get them their coffee, and he brought it back to the table, setting the drinks down and giving Jongdae the chance to take a sip before he spoke.

“So, rule number one,” Baekhyun told him, lifting up the metal picks from the pocket of his jacket, before putting them back out of view, “Don’t ever leave behind evidence.”

“I’m sorry,” Jongdae said with a ragged sigh.

“It’s okay. That’s why we practice,” Baekhyun said with a soft smile.

“I’m just not cut out for this,” Jongdae admitted.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Baekhyun mused. “It’s a good thing. You’re a good person. You don’t want to break the law. You can’t beat yourself up for that. It’s hard to go against your natural instincts as a good person. But, think of it like a trust fall. Have you ever done one of those?”

Jongdae nodded. He had gone to a summer camp once where a trust fall had been one of the activities, and he fearlessly had gone for it, thinking it was quite fun and exciting.

“Good, so you know how it goes against your natural instinct to fall backwards without knowing what’s behind you? When you do a trust fall, you’re trusting that someone is behind you. That there will be someone to catch you. So, you take that leap of faith. You go against your natural instinct because you’ve created a scenario in your mind where you feel it’s safe to do so.”

Jongdae nodded, agreeing with the explanation.

“Well stealing is a lot like that,” Baekhyun continued. “You have to create a scenario. Like tonight, in my mind, I said it was totally cool because I had to teach you how to do it. So, I created a scenario for myself that legitimized going against my natural instinct to not steal.”

“Even after all this time, you still have a natural instinct to not steal?”

“Of course. It’s wrong. We all know it. But you do it for a reason. I used to steal food when I lived on the streets. My scenario of not wanting to starve, helped me go against my natural instincts as a good person to not steal. You hired me for a reason, so there’s something that you feel you need to learn all these things for. Whatever that is, that’s your scenario. That’s what you have to use. That’s what’s behind you that will catch you when you fall backwards.”

Jongdae sipped his coffee and thought about this for a moment. He wanted to make the Wu family pay, but he didn’t know how to go about it, but it is possible that he could end up having to steal something to make it happen. The fact that he was going to do it alone meant he had to cover all his bases and be prepared for anything.

He took another deep breath and nodded at Baekhyun.

“I’ll try to remember that for next time,” Jongdae told him.

Baekhyun smiled and gave him an approving nod, but then he looked pensive and seemed to be mentally debating something before he said, “So, what exactly happened back there?”

“I panicked,” Jongdae told him. There was no point in hiding something that the man across from him had witnessed firsthand. “I have major anxiety, and I get these horrible panic attacks,” Jongdae explained, swallowing hard.

“Have you always had them?”

“No. They started after my sister died. I haven’t really been able to cope with things since that happened. So… I just shut down when things get too overwhelming.”

“I bet getting overwhelmed happens a lot to someone in your position.”

“Yeah,” Jongdae nodded, feeling like he probably sounded like the weakest failure of a person to someone like Baekhyun. “Like I said, I wasn’t cut out for this.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Baekhyun said. “It sounds more like you weren’t prepared. You weren’t prepared to be in the position of having to take over your family, right? Just how you weren’t prepared for stealing tonight. I sprung it on you, so you didn’t get the chance to set up your scenario and get your mind right. I did it on purpose because a lot of times, when you’re up to no good, you find yourself in situations where things may change from one moment to the next, so you might have to do something you weren’t prepared to do in order to get out of the situation. You always have to be ready for surprises, both good and bad.”

“And how do you prepare for the unpreparable?”

“Mostly by experience. Knowing what to do when a certain situation arises. Like if you were running away from someone and the only way to escape them was to go through a locked door, you could do it. You weren’t expecting having to do it, but it’s okay, because it’s something you can do.”

“I have so much to learn.”

“You’ll learn it,” Baekhyun said with a smile. “You’re like me. A quick learner. You already know how to pick a lock. And last time you learned how to spot undercovers. So, that’s two things you’re prepared for now.”

“Spotting undercovers was less scary than this.”

“It’s just going to get scarier, so, you know, be prepared for that.” Baekhyun gave him a thumbs up and a smile.

Jongdae gave him a small smile in return and gave him a weak thumbs-up.

***

The following day Jongdae received the news from Yixing that the Park family had found the answers they were looking for and no longer needed their assistance.

Jongdae stared at Yixing, blinked a few times, then looked back down at his laptop, turning his attention back to figuring out his accounting situation.

Jongdae had always had a spare room in the house to use for his hobbies, usually playing video games or catching up on some alone time with a good book. But after he was informed that he’d be training to take over the family, he ordered a desk and now used it as his office, no longer having the motivation to play video games or get lost in books.

He sat there now, and Yixing sat across from him, then got his attention again.

“You’re taking this very calmly,” his advisor observed.

“I have a bigger problem to deal with,” Jongdae replied with a sigh, and he looked up at Yixing. “I can’t figure out how to pay Baekhyun without the accountant noticing.”

“Set up your own bank account without anyone knowing?” Yixing offered.

Jongdae shook his head.

“I’d have to fund it somehow and even if I took out money and deposited it in cash, those withdraws would raise a red flag.”

“So, you need a way to get money without anyone noticing and distribute money without anyone noticing,” Yixing nodded in understanding. “That is a big problem.”

“This is the problem with relying on your family for everything. I have never been independent a day in my life.”

“It’s what families are supposed to do,” Yixing said. “Take care of their own.”

“Either way, I told him I would pay him weekly, so I only have a couple of days left to figure this out.”

“Are you going to tell me now what you’ve hired him for in the first place?”

“Training.”

“Training?”

“Training to do things that I’ve never had to do in my life.”

“Like swindle people out of money during billiards?”

Jongdae nodded and added, “Among other things.”

“There are plenty of people in the family that could have taught you those things.”

“And then promptly reported back to my father.”

“I see your point,” Yixing said. “Although if your father knew you were learning these things, it might make him more confident about your abilities.”

“Except I’m not good at it. Last night while I was learning to pick a lock and enter a house, I ended up having a panic attack because it freaked me out so much. If a family member had been the one teaching me about that, my father would be berating me right now about how I can’t even do that without falling apart.”

“Are you okay?” Yixing asked.

“Yeah,” Jongdae assured him. “I am now. It was a hard night, but it was a good night. I can pick a lock.”

Yixing smiled at him, and Jongdae relaxed a bit and did manage to force a small twitch at the corner of his lips.

They continued to do research, and Jongdae decided to look over all of the accounts that the family ran, the information available to him as part of his training.

“There are so many,” Yixing said, his eyes wide.

“My dad likes to cover all his bases,” Jongdae told him, not even knowing where to begin.

“How does the accountant keep track of all of this? This is a job for more than one person.”

“He only works for our family,” Jongdae told him. “This is all he does.”

“Even still. He’s only human. Things have to fall through the cracks. That’s what we should be looking for.”

They looked through the different accounts, but everything became jumbled together, numbers blurring into each other with the repetitive nature of the task, and finally they both decided that they needed to give their eyes and minds a break.

***

Jongdae emptied all his rounds, hitting the same spot on the target repeatedly.

“I heard you were good,” Luhan remarked. “It’s nice to see it for myself.”

“I need to get better,” Jongdae said, placing the gun before him on the table and turning to look at their assassin. “Did you hear the news the Park family delivered today?”

“I did.”

“Would you happen to know what they found out?”

“The Park family likes to keep its secrets close,” Luhan said, “But I said I would help you, so after I heard the news, I reached out to my mentor and asked him if he had heard anything about the Park family’s former assassin D.O. Don’t worry, my mentor has retired. He’s still loyal to the family, but he does not report to your father anymore.”

Jongdae thanked him, feeling relief at this information.

“My mentor reported back to me to say that it seems D.O. has returned to the Park family. He does not know the details, only that it seems they had found what they were looking for.”

“Well that worked out nicely for them,” Jongdae said with a sigh. “Now we’re back to having nothing to bargain with.”

“That’s a little weird though,” Yixing said. “He left the family, which is always looked down upon.  And they’re just letting him return? During an investigation?”

“Maybe to keep an eye on him,” Luhan offered, “Or maybe they want his help. I can try and keep digging, but you might have better luck trying to find out from the young Park himself.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jongdae said. “We need to focus on our investigations. Minseok has done a terrible job on this along with the rest of our security.”

“I don’t think they’ve done a terrible job,” Luhan defended. “I think there just isn’t much to go on. Whoever is behind this did a great job of covering their bases and hiding their tracks. Remember, they wanted us to believe they were an Academy assassin, so they acted accordingly.”

“You wouldn’t happen to know how to go about hiring an Academy assassin would you?” Jongdae tried asking Luhan.

“You don’t,” Luhan replied.

“That seems to be the popular answer,” Jongdae remarked.

“It’s the correct answer,” Luhan stated.

“But people do it. So how do they do it?”

“Do you know the history of The Academy?”

“Not really?” Jongdae said looking at Yixing as if wondering if it was something he should have been taught.

Yixing shook his head as well.

Luhan motioned for them to follow him, and they walked through the grounds at a casual pace.

“The Academy began in ancient times when a group of warriors betrayed the king. They had pledged allegiance to him, but then left his command when they felt disillusioned by his rule. They believed in sorcery and performed rituals to make them stronger, believing they could make themselves invincible. In a way, they did, since their legacy carries on, having evolved over time to what it is today.”

“Is that a true story?” Yixing asked.

“It’s as true as any story passed down from generation to generation verbally is.”

“Are you about to tell us that in order to hire an Academy assassin, we have to perform a ritual?” Jongdae asked.

“Not a ritual,” Luhan said, and they reached the edge of the woods on the property, a place that Jongdae had rarely gone in. He had always assumed it was the border of their property, and had never thought of it beyond that. “More like an acknowledgement.”

He led them into the forest, Jongdae admiring the white bark of the birch trees whose leaves had turned shades of yellow and orange. He thought how much Mina would have liked this and wondered if she ever came through for a stroll.

“Why do I have a feeling it’s a ritual?” Yixing whispered toward Jongdae.

Jongdae found this amusing and pat Yixing on the back, assuring him it would be fine.

Luhan led them to a portion of the woods where the trees seemed to be huddling closer together, and he stopped and faced them.

“The Academy will only take on requests from people under two circumstances. First, the payment must be very large. Second, you must pay respect to the founders of The Academy. So, since they believed in sorcery, in order to call upon The Academy, you have to do it through a sorcerer.”

“Like a legitimate sorcerer?” Jongdae asked.

“Those exist?” Yixing asked.

“Believe it or not, they do. They tend to run shops that sell herbal medicine. Either way, you can ask around and find who you’re looking for. Not all sorcerers have ties with The Academy, but The Academy only has ties with sorcerers.”

Luhan grabbed a stick from the ground and drew a circle.

“Life,” he said pointing to it. Then he drew a line across the middle of it. “The separation of life.” He stated. “You draw this on a piece of paper, like a talisman, and you hand it to a sorcerer that is loyal to The Academy.  The sorcerer takes it and tells you to return in three days. When you return, you are asked for the details of your request. The sorcerer listens then tells you to return in three days. When you return, the sorcerer informs you on whether or not The Academy will honor your request. If no, then that’s the end of it. If yes, they name their price. The sorcerer tells you to come back with payment in three days. If you return with payment, you give it to the sorcerer and you are told to leave immediately. That is the last time you interact with anyone. Once the money is given, the deed will be done, and you can’t take it back. It’s part of why they make people wait so long.”

“Who knows all this?” Jongdae asked. “Because I never knew all this.”

“Assassins know,” Luhan said. “Probably many of the heads of family know. Cops think they know, but the fact that they’ve never been able to trace anything back to The Academy or find any kind of leads shows that they don’t really know. That’s the benefit of keeping things archaic. The Academy knew that by using sorcerers and shamans, no one would take it seriously enough to believe it.”

“So, if a head of a family would know,” Jongdae said thinking out loud, “Then if that head ordered this to happen, by ordering his family assassin or whatever, then it would have been to kill. If you’re going to make it look like an Academy job, and you have that sort of knowledge of how The Academy works, then you would know they wouldn’t miss.”

Yixing’s eyes widened and he started nodding his head following Jongdae’s train of thought.

“If you weren’t supposed to miss,” Yixing said, “And you missed twice, botching the entire operation, then the head of your family is not really happy with you right now.”

“I’m on it,” Luhan said, using the bottom of his sneaker to erase the mark he had made in the dirt. “I’ll report back if I hear of any assassins with a disgruntled head.”

“Thank you,” Jongdae said with deep appreciation in his eyes. “For everything.”

“Anything for the family,” Luhan said, and he bowed respectfully to Jongdae before tossing the stick aside and leading them back out of the woods.

***

When Jongdae and Yixing returned to the house, they were intercepted by Minseok.

“Where have you guys been?” He asked, looking as if he had been running around trying to find them.

Jongdae stared at him and said nothing.

“Fine, forget I asked,” Minseok waved off. “I’ve been looking for you. Your dad got word that the Park family took out a cop. Naturally, the Park family has not mentioned this to any other family, but our guy in the force passed along the information. He wasn’t on the case that the other guy was working on, but it had something to do with taking down several families. Your dad wants you to talk to Chanyeol about it and find out if we were one of the families on that list.”

Jongdae shook his head and walked past Minseok, heading to the kitchen where he had originally intended to go so he could get some water to drink.

“Okay, do you want me to shake my head at your father in response? I need more than that, Dae.”

Jongdae didn’t say anything until he got to the kitchen and poured himself the water he had been wanting. He took a big drink from the glass then looked at his cousin.

“We pay our guy on the force enough money to get better information than that. Have him do his job, and if he can’t do his job, make him do it.”

Minseok stared at him for a moment, as if thinking through the scenario, and then he nodded and said, “Okay.”

“Okay?” Jongdae asked him back. “You’re not going to tell me that it’s not what my father wants and that you’re going to have to tell him?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s the first time you’ve ever said anything that sounded like you were the head of the family.”

“Now you’re going to use flattery?”

“It’s honesty, and like I said before, I’m here to help, whether you want to believe it or not.”

“Well then do this.”

“I will,” Minseok said, and he didn’t bother to linger, leaving at once as if inspired to go perform this task.

“He wasn’t lying,” Yixing said with a small smile on his lips. “That was a good response and a good assignment to give him. Very head of the family words.”

“I just didn’t want to go to the Park family again.”

“And you came up with an even better solution. Like you said before, we need to stop relying on them for help. Especially since they don’t care to help us.”

Jongdae did feel as if he had made a sort of breakthrough, and he carried that energy with him as he went back to his office to start scouring his family’s bank accounts once again.


	9. (Two Moons)

“Mine’s got a superiority complex,” Kyungsoo said as he shot at the flying ships, staying steady and not moving his body as he hit each target, unlike his opponent who kept flailing left and right and cursing each time he missed a shot.

“Mine gets panic attacks,” Baekhyun retorted, pushing forward on his gun as if it would move with him regardless of the fact that it was bolted to the machine and had a small range of motion.

“He assumes that everyone has to listen to him.”

“Like literally, air is a commodity for him.”

“But he hasn’t done anything to earn that type of respect.”

“I considered giving him mouth-to-mouth.”

“I don’t have time for someone like him.”

“I might have to swipe an oxygen mask for him from a hospital.”

“He’s just going to end up making this all more difficult.”

“Although I’d also have to swipe an oxygen tank.”

“I need to see the elder Park.”

“He can’t break into houses and steal things with an oxygen tank though. Wait, did you just… what the hell, Soo? I was supposed to win this round.”

“You’ve never won against me in any round on this game, what would make this round different?” Kyungsoo said as he released his grip and savored his expected victory.

“Because nothing stays the same forever,” Baekhyun explained.

“That is true,” Kyungsoo nodded, patting him on the shoulder. “Come on, the movie’s starting soon and I want to get nachos before it starts.”

“Next time we’re playing a fighting game so I can win.”

“I’ve beat you before in fighting games.”

“Shh,” Baekhyun said, putting his finger up to his lips in a quick motion. “Don’t make me take away your extra cheese.”

“That’s a real threat. You touch my extra cheese and you’re the one that’s going to need the oxygen mask.”

“Ah, you’re being scary mean,” Baekhyun said pretending to be frightened of the intense stare Kyungsoo gave him. “You should give this look to the young Park instead so he can have his ego knocked down a few notches.”

“I’m saving it for when I’ll really need it.”

“Maybe I’ll just swipe him an inhaler.”


	10. (Waning Gibbous)

Chanyeol wasn’t sure how to approach this subject with his father, especially after the warning his father had given Junmyeon, but his curiosity propelled him forward as he took his father’s hand and began his morning pleasantries to him.

“You look ready to walk, run even,” Chanyeol told him and his father smiled and squeezed his hand.

“Soon,” his father said. “I must do it soon since Taemin comes in here insisting I go with him places.”

“I apologize for that,” Chanyeol said with a sigh. “He’s getting a bit stir crazy in the house.”

“I hear you won’t allow him on outings.”

“It’s not safe. Especially now that Jongin had to take care of some police trouble.”

“I heard. That’s all been taken care of then?”

“Yes,” Chanyeol said. He hoped.

“Good. You’ve all been doing a great job.”

“Well, we’d be doing a greater job if we could find who’s responsible for this and hold them accountable,” Chanyeol tried to transition. “As long as we don’t know who did this, things remain dangerous for the family.”

“And the Kim family as well,” his father said, “How are they doing?”

“They’re fine,” Chanyeol dismissed. “But, in order to find who did this, we needed some more help. So, we hired our former assassin, D.O., back.”

His father’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

“No, what do you mean? I told Junmyeon to not pursue him.”

“We know you let him go. Why did you do that?”

“Chanyeol, what do you mean you hired him?”

“We hired him to come back and help our assassin find the person who did this to you,” Chanyeol said, not sure what to make of any of his father’s reactions.

“You hired him? You keep saying this. Did you physically hire him? Did you see him?”

“Yes, we were looking for him, and he found out and came to us.”

“Is he here?”

“Right now? I don’t know.”

“If he comes back to this house, send him directly to me.”

Chanyeol furrowed his brows, not liking that answer, but not knowing enough to know why he didn’t like it.

“Dad, why did you allow him to leave the family?”

“Send him to me.” His father let out a loud sigh, and closed his eyes, resting once more, though Chanyeol was sure it was to keep from answering any more of his questions.

***

When Chanyeol was alerted that D.O. had arrived on property, he went to greet the man himself at the side entrance that led to the bungalows where security and their assassin operated out of.

“Come with me,” Chanyeol told him, walking down the path that would lead to the main house.

D.O. did not react or say a word at the request, falling into step as he walked with him.

“I spoke with my father this morning,” Chanyeol said, “And he requested to see you after I had told him that we had hired you back on.”

Again, the young assassin said nothing and Chanyeol glanced at him to see that he looked straight ahead as he walked.

Chanyeol didn’t know how to handle this situation, but everything about it upset him. It drove him crazy to not know the secret that this young man and his father shared, and it bothered him how they both reacted when the other was spoken of.

They entered the home, and Chanyeol led him to his father’s room, his mother in the room, fixing his blankets for him.

“Oh, it seems you have a visitor,” his mother said with a smile. “D.O., it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”

D.O. bowed toward his mother and said, “You look as lovely as you did back when I saw you last.”

“Oh,” the older woman said with a warm laugh. “Still so polite. I’ll leave you to your business. It’s so good to see you,” she said as she walked by him to leave.

D.O. bowed to her again and then walked over toward Chanyeol’s father. Chanyeol observed how his father blinked a few times, as if trying to determine that D.O. did stand beside his bed, and then his father smiled.

“Come,” his mother told him, and Chanyeol looked at her unsure that she was referring to him.  “Close the door and leave them be.”

“But…” Chanyeol said.

“No,” his mother said, and Chanyeol looked upset by this, but closed the door and followed his mom down the hallway.

“Do you know why dad allowed him to leave the family?” Chanyeol asked her.

“You know your father does not tell me about his business affairs,” she said.

“But you know D.O.”

“I know him how I know everyone who spends time in our family. It was good to see him again. He was always so polite to me.”

“You really don’t know why dad let him leave?”

His mother reached her hand out to his cheek and pat it.

“I know nothing. I do not question your father’s business decisions. You shouldn’t either.”

She left Chanyeol to go into her reading room to speak with one of the maids, and Chanyeol stood there, looking back down the hallway toward the direction of his father’s room.

He couldn’t help but to question something this nonsensical, but for now, he would try to focus on something else. He knew the truth would be revealed if he waited long enough, the truth had a way of always coming out, no matter how hard someone tried to keep it a secret.

***

Chanyeol spent the majority of his business meetings that day accepting visits from heads of other families, all wanting to inquire as to what other families had been a target of the botched police operation they had uncovered.

“I can’t thank your family enough for stopping what would have been a detrimental attack,” the head of the Choi family said, and Chanyeol had nodded his acknowledgment of the gratefulness back to him.

“We do all have to look out for each other during these times,” Chanyeol told him, “I expect the Choi family would have done the same in the situation.”

“Of course,” the elder Choi said. “Our alliance with the Park family is strong. Our vigilance extends to all our allies.”

After the elder Choi left, Chanyeol checked his phone to find a missed call from Sehun. He debated not taking it, but then he had the thought that he could probably use a stress reliever that night, so he called him back.

“Hello?” Sehun answered.

“You called me,” Chanyeol replied.

“Are you busy?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

Chanyeol waited for more information, and when he didn’t get it, he asked, “Why did you call me?”

“I need a ride.”

Chanyeol wasn’t sure he heard him right.

“You need a ride?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Where do you need a ride to?”

“My place.”

“You can’t take a train.”

“I’m kind of not in town.”

“Where are you?”

As it turned out, Sehun was well outside of the city limits, far from any type of cheap transportation that could bring him back. He had gone to work on a school assignment, but had told his classmates to go back without him since he wanted to spend more time doing research. He told them he’d get back on his own, but when he had woken up that morning, he had found that he didn’t have enough money on him for a bus back into the city.

Chanyeol had the decency to not die on the floor laughing at this story.

“I’ll send someone to get you. Although by the time you get back it’ll be late. Would you rather be dropped off at the hotel or are you too frazzled by your adventure for that tonight?”

“I’m not frazzled,” Sehun said, sounding almost offended on the phone. “Can I be taken to my place so I can change and shower before being taken to the hotel?”

“I’m sure that can be arranged.”

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight then.”

“See you tonight.”

Chanyeol hung up, both annoyed that Sehun hadn’t even thanked him for getting him out of this situation and amused because he had expected Sehun to not thank him.

“Sooo,” Chanyeol said looking at Junmyeon. “I have a fun job for you.”

“You want me to go pick up your five-night stand?”

“He’s out in the middle of nowhere, stranded, with no money.”

“What does he look like?”

“You’ll know him when you see him. He’ll probably be the only multi-colored-hair person looking lost in a 50-kilometer radius.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to send a member of security to go get him?”

“I don’t need everyone in the house knowing about my private affairs,” Chanyeol explained. “Get Jongin in here so I’m not having the rest of my meetings alone.”

Junmyeon nodded and called for Jongin, then left to go collect the five-night stand.

***

Chanyeol tried very hard to focus on the movie that Anya had put on for Taemin in his playroom, but his thoughts only drifted back to his father and whatever conversation he could have had with their former assassin.

Nothing about the situation sat right with him, and he looked at the time, thinking that maybe D.O. might still be on property. He excused himself from Taemin and Anya and went back to the security bungalows, walking with intent out of fear of missing him before he left.

He nodded toward one of the security guards standing outside and asked if the assassins were still on the property. He was pointed to the furthest bungalow and he thanked the man and walked to it, opening the door and finding both assassins sitting at a table in mid-conversation.  They paused to look at him and Chanyeol cleared his throat and stepped in, closing the door behind him.

“I was hoping to get an update about our investigation,” he said, not bothering to apologize for interrupting them.

“Please have a seat,” the older assassin said, motioning toward an empty chair at the small table.

Chanyeol looked toward D.O. who stared at him with the eyes of an owl, but said nothing.

He sat and looked back at the older assassin and asked, “So is there an update?”

“We’ve ruled out most of the high families we have close ties with,” the older man began.

“Have we ruled out any of our enemies?”

“We’ve ruled out a lot of them. Security arranged a meeting with members of the Lee family security to feel them out, and they’ve ruled them out based on their findings. The only enemies we haven’t ruled out completely yet are the Son family and the Wu family.”

“The Wu family?” Chanyeol asked, his attention now completely on the older assassin “We haven’t ruled them out?”

“Not yet, but there is a lot of reason to believe that they might not be involved.”

“And one major reason why they might be,” Chanyeol pointed out.

“It’s true that they were in a war with the Kim family when this assassination attempt occurred, however, it’s that very reason that makes it unlikely. Their resources were already stretched thin.”

“But weren’t we helping the Kims? Maybe they wanted to take us out to help them fight the Kim family better. Make it an even fight between two smaller families without a big family interfering?”

The older assassin paused for a moment then shook his head.

“No, we weren’t helping the Kims,” he informed Chanyeol, and Chanyeol was certain that was a lie.

“We had to be helping them. I remember my father was very upset by…,” Chanyeol shook his head. “We were helping them.”

“We were sympathetic to them,” the older man said, “But your father felt strongly that it was a personal Kim family matter and it was best not to involve our family. We did let the Kim family know that we’d be here for them if they needed, but they never asked for our help.”

Chanyeol felt as if his head was spinning and he needed fresh air, but he also needed to get his thoughts back in order. Not only had this information been unexpected for him, but it had also contradicted what he had thought had happened. It had never even occurred to him to ask his father if his family was helping the Kim family during their difficult time, he had just assumed.

“Keep ruling people out,” Chanyeol said standing up and almost knocking down the chair in the process. “I need to go.”

He left without another word, completely forgetting about the reason he had wanted an update in the first place as he walked back toward the main house.

But he didn’t want to go back to the house. He didn’t want to go anywhere. He made it as far as their inner courtyard fountain and sat on the brick pathway that led around it, holding his head in his hands as he tried to not let his memories assault him.

Yes, he had distrust for the Kim family because they had separated from their own, which had always felt like a betrayal to Chanyeol, but it didn’t change all the great memories that had been important in his life.

He found the memory that hit him the most at the moment was one in which he, Jongdae and Mina had gone to play in the pool on a hot summer day. They were trying to see who could hold their breath the longest underwater, and Jongdae had beat Chanyeol by a good margin. Jongdae tended to be good at everything he did, so Chanyeol hadn’t been too surprised when his best friend had won.

“That’s my little brother,” Mina had said, clapping when the competition had ended, “Making the Kim family proud.”

“That’s not fair, you have two competitors. I have to compete by myself,” Chanyeol said, and he had splashed water at her, which had just led to her splashing water back to him.

Soon it had become a water splashing contest, but again, it had been two against one and he found himself up against the wall of the pool and begging to not be drowned by water splashes.

He remembered Jongdae had laughed so hard at that and gave him a tight hug saying he would never drown him with water splashes.

“I would just do it the old-fashioned way,” Jongdae said, before pushing him down under the water.

Chanyeol had gotten his revenge by tickling Jongdae until his whines to stop could be heard around the entire estate ground, and Mina had helped push Chanyeol off her brother to save him.

“And us, from all this whining,” she had said.

He tried to shake the memories away, the image of Mina laughing strong in his mind as he thought again about how the assassin had told him they hadn’t helped the Kim family get revenge on the Wu family for her death.

He still remembered the day he had found out…

No, he couldn’t do that to himself. Not now. He needed to get out of there. He needed his father to get better so he and his son could leave this cruel and unjust world of high families behind.

It wasn’t until he got up and began walking that he realized that the only ally that hadn’t visited today to ask about the police incident had been the Kim family.

***

“You shouldn’t be this tense after a blow job,” Sehun said to Chanyeol, who sat on the couch, having just been tended to by the younger man, but feeling very little relief from the action.

“I’m having a bad day,” Chanyeol said, pulling up his boxers.

Sehun got up from his kneeling position, wiping his mouth again and sitting beside him with a curious look.

“Worse than finding out you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere kind of day?” Sehun asked him, and Chanyeol let out a snort.

“A different kind of bad day,” he said.

“I won’t bother asking if you want to talk about it, but if you did, I’d listen.”

“I just need you to be a distraction. Get my mind off things.”

“Well the blow job didn’t work.”

“You don’t have more tricks up your sleeve?”

“I could top?”

“Nice try,” Chanyeol said, and he sighed and rested his head back against the couch.

“Your advisor is really nice.”

“Yeah, that’s why I keep him around. Is he your type?”

“Yes, very much so.”

Chanyeol blinked and turned his head toward Sehun to see if he was being serious.

“Very much so?” Chanyeol asked him.

“He looks like he should be a prince,” Sehun said. “When he got out of the car, I thought it was a rich businessman who had gotten lost. He’s very attractive.”

“Hate to break it to you, but I don’t think you’re his type.”

“It’s fine,” Sehun said. “I had a nice conversation with him on the way back. He went to law school. That was interesting.”

“More interesting than me?”

Sehun seemed to think this over while looking at him and chewing on his bottom lip.

“No,” he finally said. “You’re still more interesting.”

“Well at least I get a point for something.”

“You get more than one,” Sehun said reaching his hand out to touch Chanyeol’s arm, “Your arms remember? You get at least 10 for those.” Sehun slid his hand up and down Chanyeol’s arm, squeezing at his bicep and then leaning in to kiss it. “And you get 10 for your profile,” he continued, snaking the tip of his nose up Chanyeol’s arm and neck before he got to Chanyeol’s jaw and placed a kiss there as well.

“Twenty-one points,” Chanyeol said, his eyes fluttering at the soft words and kisses coming unexpectedly from Sehun. “I’ll take it.”

“You get ten more for being interesting,” Sehun said, moving to sit on Chanyeol’s lap, straddling him as he faced him. “Possibly the most interesting man I’ve ever met. Maybe that’s more like 20 points.”

“It should be 100 then.”

“100 it is,” Sehun appeased him, leaning in to take his lips into his own, and Chanyeol almost did forget about all his troubles then, having realized in their numerous encounters that if Sehun had a gift, it certainly came from using his mouth.

Chanyeol realized at some point that Sehun was acting more affectionate and attentive than usual, and while he was certain that it was because the younger man had felt he had failed him on the first try and was attempting to make sure he really did make Chanyeol forget all his troubles for the night, a part of Chanyeol let himself believe that Sehun maybe really was starting to like Chanyeol a bit more.

Not that it mattered to Chanyeol, of course.

***

There were too many thoughts running through Chanyeol’s mind the next morning, and he barely knew where to start dealing with them. He stopped by his father’s room first, thinking it was best to start at the beginning.

“You seem upset,” his father noticed right away, and Chanyeol tried to relax his face.

“I have a lot on my mind,” he said, taking his father’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “How are you this morning?”

“Well,” his father said. “The doctor will be stopping by today to hopefully give me some good news.”

“It will be good news,” Chanyeol nodded.

“What are these things on your mind?”

“I found out yesterday that we didn’t help the Kim family retaliate against the Wu family after they killed Mina. I had always assumed, since Mina had once been part of our family as well, that we would have helped.” Chanyeol attempted to keep his voice calm, not wanting to let his emotions get the best of him.

“When a family loses a blood member of the family, a war is inevitable,” his father said. “But a war like that is full of emotion, thoughts of revenge, driven by sorrow and pain. They are the most dangerous wars, and I did not want to risk our family for a war so personal. I did, however, let them know that if they needed help, we would be here for them.”

“But Mina was part of our family too at one time,” Chanyeol tried to understand. “And the Kim family is small. They would have needed our help. They didn’t win that war and chances were, without our help, they weren’t going to. It’s very likely that the Wu family is behind this assassination attempt for that very reason.”

“It’s their war to win or lose,” his father said. “Like I said, it was a personal matter. One that our family couldn’t simply involve ourselves in. This is important for you to remember as you lead in my absence. You have to put the family first, even if it means sitting on the sidelines.”

He wanted to argue against this, but he knew he couldn’t open up this conversation to his father. As it was, he had shown his emotions too much. He needed to let this go. He had no choice but to. He mentally forced himself to switch subjects, as hard as it was for him to do so.

“You seemed happy to see D.O. yesterday,” he said, and it was his father’s turn to show his emotions too much as the older man looked away.

“What else is on your mind?” His father then asked him, as he looked back at Chanyeol.

“That’s what’s on my mind.”

“You should start your day then. I’m sure breakfast is waiting for you.”

“I need you to tell me something, anything, that makes sense about whatever it is you two are keeping secret.”

“There is only one thing I will tell you,” his father said, and Chanyeol listened carefully. “He has agreed to help until the culprit is found, and once we find the person responsible for this, he will disappear again. Do you understand?”

Chanyeol blinked and then looked confused.

“How nice,” Chanyeol said letting go of his father’s hand and standing up, “That you at least support someone’s wish to disappear.”

His tone may have been bitter, and he did hear his father say his name as he left, but he was done with that conversation.

***

He made an excuse to skip breakfast, telling Taemin to eat enough for both of them and making up something to his mother about how he needed to get started right away on his day.  He was never good at hiding his mood, and he didn’t want to field another series of questions from a parent.

Instead he went to his father’s office, not surprised to see Junmyeon already there working on his tablet.

“One of these days, I’m going to get in here before you do,” Chanyeol said, taking his seat behind the desk.

“I’ll buy you a drink the day you do,” his advisor said with a smile. “We don’t have any meetings first thing this morning, so if you’d like to go over the building plans, we can.”

“So apparently, you’re Sehun’s type.”

Junmyeon looked amused by this and crossed one leg over the other, turning his attention away from the tablet and to Chanyeol instead.

“He’s… a strange one.”

“That’s putting it nicely,” Chanyeol said with a snort.

“I’m trying to be nice,” Junmyeon said, his smile of amusement growing. “I get why you were intrigued though. It’s just when you talk to him. How do you deal with that every night?”

“I don’t usually give him much of a chance to talk. I keep his mouth occupied with other things.”

“That is crude,” Junmyeon said, and he shook his head with a smile at Chanyeol. “But seriously, I’m glad you’re having fun with… whatever that is.”

“It’s a sophomore.”

“It’s a… what number are we on now?”

“Six. It’s a six-night stand. He’s got four more nights with me and then that’s it for our strange sophomore.”

“We’ll see about that,” Junmyeon said with a smirk. “So, building plans?”

“Do you think it’s weird that all of our allies came yesterday to inquire about the police incident except for the Kim family?”

“It is a bit unexpected,” Junmyeon nodded.

“And do you think it’s weird that we haven’t heard a single thing from the Kim family about us no longer needing their help?”

“I had been expecting to hear something by now.”

“And obviously you know that we weren’t assisting the Kim family in their war against the Wu family.”

“I do know that.”

Chanyeol nodded and then sighed, looking down for a moment as more memories attempted to assault him.

“So, do you want us to reach out to the Kim family and see what’s happening?” Junmyeon asked him.

“No. I just find it weird.”

“We can try and get some feelers going.”

“It’s fine. It’s good that the Kim family stays away. The less we have to deal with them the better.”

“Let me know if you change your mind.”

Chanyeol nodded and then made a face before giving in, “So building plans…”

***

The sounds of gunshots could be heard well before Chanyeol even entered the family’s gun range on their property, and he walked inside to find both assassins practicing.

He stood back and watched, curious to see them in action, never having had the opportunity to do so.

While the senior assassin shot his targets with precision and an elegant composure, D.O. fired off shots in rapid succession, hands steady and with an intense glare that could have killed his target before the bullet even arrived.

His body was relaxed, as if this was a weekend amusement that required no thought or effort. And Chanyeol couldn’t help but to take in the man, noticing how even though he was short in stature, the features of his body seemed to belong to someone bigger and powerful – his hands were big, as were his feet, and his frame was solid, his thighs strong and the muscles in his arms seemed defined even under the long sleeves of the soft fitted shirt he wore. Chanyeol found it a little impossible to not stare at him.

“That’s interesting,” the older man said, putting his gun down as he pulled in the target to take a closer look.

D.O. put his gun down as well and did the same.

“What’s interesting?” Chanyeol said, finding his voice and breaking out of his thoughts as he walked toward them.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you had joined us,” the older man said and D.O. didn’t bother to look and see who had intruded.

“I snuck in. Wanted to see how today’s investigation was going.”

“Interesting,” the man said with an amused smile, “We were doing a bit of an experiment. Based upon the police reports, we tried to recreate the shots taken at both your father and the elder Kim.”

Chanyeol looked at the targets as the assassin pointed to them, indicating which was which. It appeared D.O. had been shooting at the target replica of the elder Kim since there were no holes to be found.

“And what did you find interesting about it?”

“When I was taking these shots, firing them exactly where your father was hit, it didn’t feel natural to me. The places I hit weren’t as precise as I would fire them. Did you feel the same?” He asked D.O.

D.O. nodded and said, “My shots in particular, since they were misses, were difficult to reproduce.”

“Yes, there is that as well of course,” the older man said with a small smile.

“So, what does this mean exactly?” Chanyeol asked, not getting the assassin humor.

“I’m not sure yet, but it is interesting.”

Chanyeol had to take his word for it and nodded, then looked toward D.O.

“I need to have a word with you outside.”

D.O. bowed to Chanyeol and walked toward the door without waiting for Chanyeol to do so first. He followed the shorter man out then motioned for him to walk toward a nearby tree, feeling that they should be away from any possible listeners.

Chanyeol crossed his arms and tried to stare down the man that stood attentive and staring, or possibly glaring, back at him.

“So, you got to speak with my father yesterday, and he seemed very happy to see you.”

D.O. said nothing, and Chanyeol could already feel his patience dwindling.

“Why was he happy to see you?”

“Why would you be happy to see someone you hadn’t seen in a long time?”

“The next time you answer one of my questions with a question, I’m going to have security come teach you a lesson.”

“What kind of lesson?”

Chanyeol’s eyes went wide and he took a step forward, towering over the young man in front of him, but the man did not budge and continued to stare at Chanyeol as if waiting for his answer.

“You need to show me respect while you’re working for the family.”

“Respect is earned,” the man replied and Chanyeol wanted to scream in frustration.

“What gives you the right to determine if I’ve earned it or not? I’m the acting head of the family, and you will show me respect.”

“Do I get another lesson taught to me if I don’t?”

The fact that this man continued to verbally taunt him combined with the bad mood Chanyeol had already been in made him want to explode, and he took several steps back before he did something he’d regret later.

Chanyeol put his hands on his hips and looked at D.O. for a moment, who still stood in the same spot, staring at him, and Chanyeol shook his head and walked away. 

This was too much.

For the first time since he had taken over for his father, he felt completely out of control of the situation. He knew that adrenaline had been what had helped him take over in the first place, but now reality was setting in, and his sentence was going to be a lot longer than he had hoped.

He didn’t make it many steps before crumbling onto the ground like a cloth doll, pulling his long legs up toward his chest as he rested his head upon his knees and stared out at the grounds of his family’s estate.

He used to run around all of these areas with Jongdae, the two of them always up to no good. But who could blame them? They had all this space at their disposal and they both had vivid imaginations that the estate grounds couldn’t contain. They felt it was all theirs, but then again, back then, they felt the world was theirs.

Another memory assaulted him, this time Mina showing off a cartwheel for the boys and betting them they couldn’t do two in a row. Chanyeol’s tall frame and lack of coordination, especially at that age, had made him prove her right first. Jongdae managed to do it on his third try, and Mina had to carry her brother piggyback all the way back to the house as her punishment for losing the bet.

“If you want respect,” D.O.’s voice said breaking Chanyeol out of his thoughts, and Chanyeol looked up to see that D.O. had walked over to him and now stood beside him. “Then you should treat people with respect.”

“I wasn’t going to respect a potential suspect who left the family,” Chanyeol said with a slight bitter tone. “You’re the one that has to earn that. Not me.”

“Your father is a kind man who earns respect by giving it to people until they’ve proven they don’t deserve it.”

“I don’t need you talking to me about my father unless it’s to tell me why he let you leave.”

“He let me leave because I asked him to.”

Chanyeol looked surprised, not by the answer, but by the fact that he had answered.

D.O. walked in front of Chanyeol then sat on the grass, facing him.

“Why did you ask him to?” Chanyeol asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Because I don’t like killing people.”

“That’s…” Chanyeol looked confused by this answer. “Isn’t that… I mean, I never thought about that. Do assassins normally like killing people?”

“No,” D.O. said. “It’s a job. They do their job. Like people who don’t like cleaning, but clean for a living.”

“Cleaning and killing people are two very different things though,” Chanyeol pointed out, even though it wasn’t necessary to do so.

“Yes,” D.O. said, slow, as if speaking to a toddler, “They are.”

“You know what I meant,” Chanyeol said annoyed. “If you don’t like killing people, why did you become an assassin in the first place?”

“I only tell my story to people who have earned my respect and who respect me. Besides, this isn’t why you brought me back into the family. I’m only here to help find who is responsible for your father’s assassination attempt. And from what I can tell, you need all the help you can get.”

Chanyeol wondered why it felt like D.O. was the one suddenly taking charge of this.

“We’re making progress. We’ll find the person responsible,” Chanyeol stated.

“We should have had a lead by now. It’s been a month. The person who did this probably feels they got away with it.”

“Well won’t they be surprised when we come knocking on their door?”

“That’s your ego talking,” D.O. said, and Chanyeol was so overwhelmed by the amount of words coming out of the young man’s mouth that he couldn’t even retaliate with his own. “Your ego is doing more damage to this investigation than anything else. You’re relying too much on everyone else to do the work for you. A true head of the family would be out there asking questions and trying to be more involved.”

“I’m only the acting head, and it’s only for a couple of months.”

“Your father entrusted you with this position. Even if it’s only for a couple of months, you should respect him by doing your best.”

“Don’t talk to me about my father,” Chanyeol snapped.

“That’s your ego again,” the man said.

“You have no right…” Chanyeol stopped himself, knowing he would prove D.O.’s point further. He had never encountered a more insufferable person in his life. Talk about ego. D.O. was all only made up of ego from what Chanyeol could tell. “I didn’t bring you back into the family for this purpose. Just do your job.”

Chanyeol pushed himself up from the ground and dusted off the grass from the back of his pants.

D.O. stood up as well, still in front of him and looking at him with a bit of a glare, though Chanyeol began to think that was his natural way of looking at things.

“I am doing my job,” D.O. said, “You need to start doing yours.”

Chanyeol shot him a dirty look that D.O. did not react to. He simply walked away and back toward the gun range.

Chanyeol wanted to run after him and push him, or hit him, or strangle him, but instead he took a deep breath and walked back to the house, feeling tense and on edge and as if his nerves had been shaken out of place.


	11. (Waxing Crescent)

It had taken an all-nighter to find what he had been looking for, and when he had, Jongdae had called for Yixing to come over to his room immediately.

“It’s four in the morning,” a sleepy Yixing said, as he shuffled into Jongdae’s office in his pajamas.

“Remember when you said the accountant was human and certain accounts had to have fallen through the cracks?”

“I’m sure I’ll remember when I wake up,” Yixing said, dragging the chair from the front of Jongdae’s desk to the other side so he could sit next to him and see what he was looking at.

“Well I found them. Only they didn’t fall through the cracks.” Jongdae pulled up three accounts for Yixing and explained, “These are my sister’s accounts. My father never had them closed.”

“Strange,” Yixing said. “Do they have money in them?”

“Not only do they have money in them,” Jongdae said, “But one of them still has deposits made into it every week.”

“Like a savings account?”

“I think so. My theory is my father didn’t want them touched. Whether to preserve her memory, or maybe he couldn’t handle thinking about it and making a decision on what to do with them, whatever the reason, these accounts have been left alone.”

“So, you’re thinking the accountant isn’t monitoring them? That’s risky, Dae. Just because they’re being left alone doesn’t mean he’s not checking them.”

“Well there’s only one way to find out, right?” Jongdae asked, knowing he looked a little mischievous to Yixing at the moment. “I figured we can take the risk. I’m out of time to pay Baekhyun, so I can get the money out of one of these accounts. We’ll find out within days if the accountant noticed. If he does, then we don’t do it again and I try and come up with another way to find money, but it buys us time.”

“But how are you going to get the money out of the account? You’ll have to show ID if you walk up to a bank.”

“ATM.”

“Do you have Mina’s ATM card?”

“No, but I was thinking you could go search her room for one.”

Yixing looked at Jongdae like he had to try harder than that and Jongdae sighed.

“I know,” Jongdae said. “Obviously, I’m going to look for it.”

“Don’t ATMs have limits?” Yixing asked. “Are you going to be able to pull out enough?”

“If I can find at least two cards, then I can pull amounts from two accounts. If not, and we only have one card, then it won’t be enough, but I can give him the rest tomorrow if the first time doesn’t alert the accountant.”

“And if you find no cards?”

“Then I need another plan.”

Yixing nodded and let out a large yawn before getting up from his chair.

“I’ll be the lookout,” he said, and Jongdae stood up and took a deep breath.

He hadn’t been in Mina’s room since after her funeral. He had only been in their twice since her death, the first time, when he had cried himself to sleep on her bed on the day he had found out the news, and the second time, when he had to help his mother pick out a nice dress for her to be buried in. Mina’s room held emotions he couldn’t deal with.

He hesitated at her door for a brief moment, taking another deep breath, then letting himself in.  The room had been untouched and looked exactly the same as how she had left it. She loved bright colors, like those of the flowers in the garden, and her room had many warm accents of orange, red and yellow. Mina was always like the sun, and her room reflected that aspect of her personality.

He paused in the room for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry,” to her. “I have to find something. Please don’t mind.”

Jongdae had wished he had better prepared himself for this because as he moved toward her vanity, he felt his chest start to constrict and his heart beat faster. He opened the small drawers, finding nothing more than makeup items and accessories for her hair. He took another big breath and went to her desk.

He sat in her chair and tried to regulate his breathing as he opened each drawer, finding all kinds of odds and ends: sticky notes, pens, keys, notepads, unorganized pictures, and so on. He found an envelope in the bottom drawer and opened it, finding nothing bank-related inside.  He tried the other side of desk drawers and had no better luck.

Luckily his breathing had regulated itself a bit during the search, his task giving him something to keep his mind off being in her room, but now it started to speed up again as he looked around to try and figure out where to look next.

When she was killed, she had her wallet on her, but the wallet had been returned to the family. He assumed his parents would have returned it to her room, but now he wondered if they had kept it with them. He hoped they didn’t as he started looking through her dresser drawers, and when he found nothing there, he went into her walk-in closet and looked around, the rows of clothes that he remembered her wearing suddenly hitting him hard. He half expected her to walk in and ask for his opinion on what she should wear today.

Jongdae crouched down and held his head in his hands, needing a moment to compose himself and think. He did some breathing exercises and tried to think of where his sister would keep sensitive information. She had three bank accounts, which was strange in a way. Jongdae only had two, one to use for everyday purposes, and one that was used as a savings account with money regularly deposited by the accountant every two weeks, not weekly like the one Mina had.

The third account, Jongdae had discovered, was an account set up right before she had left for her trip around the world. At least that’s what she had called it, but Jongdae remembered how much she had to sell their father on the idea of letting her go and explore the world before she started her duties of training to take over someday. Jongdae hadn’t been surprised when his father had relented, always wanting to give his favorite child whatever she wanted.

She had sent Jongdae postcards from different places, telling him what exciting things she had seen, and what new foods she had tried. He remembered being both happy for her and a bit jealous, but thinking that maybe he’d do something similar someday after he was done with medical school.

“Help me,” Jongdae whispered, and he looked up, as if her clothes still carried a bit of her in them and could reveal where she would keep bank information hidden.

He stood up again and looked at the shoe boxes she had at the top of her closet.

She had a separate part of her closet for shoes, so he wondered if these were shoes that she didn’t care to wear, or if she used the boxes for a separate purpose. He reached up to grab one to see.

When he opened it, he found more unorganized pictures, and he rummaged through to make sure nothing was hidden at the bottom.

“This is stupid,” he said to himself. “Think,” he scolded himself. “It’s a bank card. She wouldn’t hide it. It has to be somewhere more obvious.”

He covered his bases anyway, opening another shoe box to reveal mementos that made him stand still as he stared at them.

He recognized the birthday card that stared back at him, one that he had given to her many years ago. He swallowed as he reached into the box to start looking through, and found that she had kept all the birthday cards that had ever been given to her by him, and only him. Cards from other people were not present in the box at all. At the bottom of the box he felt an envelope, and he pulled it out, noticing it felt as if more than just a card was inside.

He opened the envelope and pulled out a card that he had given her on her 18th birthday. He didn’t remember anything special about the card or that particular birthday to indicate why she would have kept it in the envelope, but when he pulled out the card, a small key came flying out with it.

Jongdae picked up the key from the floor and looked at it, not sure what it pertained to, and his confusion froze him for a moment, until he remembered that he was there for a reason and he was running out of time before people in the home began awakening.

He put the items back as he had found them and checked the other shoe boxes quickly, not finding anything that he needed. He turned off the light and went back to her room, and checked the final tall dresser that she had. His heart quickened as he realized he had come across her purse and wallet collection, and he started searching with renewed energy, knowing that this would be his best shot.

The first wallets he tried had nothing in them, but he got to one that had leftover receipts, and then another wallet had business cards, and then the wallet after that had a small amount of cash and one card that he took to check the number against the accounts he had pulled up back in his office. He kept searching, finding another card with a different number and taking that as well, and then in a purse he found some more cash that he pocketed.

He got out of the room, barely keeping it together and rushed back to his office with Yixing right behind.

“How did you do?” Yixing asked sitting back beside him. “Breathe.”

“I’m trying to,” Jongdae said taking deep breaths. “I found some things.” He put them on the desk for Yixing to look at while he continued to work on his breathing.

“This one matches up,” Yixing said, checking one of the cards against the bank accounts on the screen. “This one goes with her regular checking account.”

“I can’t believe I just robbed my dead sister,” Jongdae said, exhaling short breaths.

“Breathe. You can’t look at it that way. She’d help you out in this situation so just see it as her helping you out,” Yixing told him as he checked the next card. “This one matches up with the second account. You did it.”

“Almost. I didn’t find any information that had her pin number.”

“Damn it,” Yixing said, sighing, but then pulling the money to count it. “Well, we’ve got some cash at least?”

“It’s not enough,” Jongdae said, finally finding a deep breath to use. “Obviously.”

“Maybe the accountant has a list of PINs?”

Jongdae raised his eyebrow, realizing that he probably did, but that information was not available in what he had access to, or at least he didn’t think it was. He searched for a bit and came up with nothing.

“We could try and guess,” Jongdae finally said.

“I think you only get three tries,” Yixing pointed out.

“Then we’ll have to get it right by the third one,” Jongdae stated, and he closed his eyes, focusing on breathing as best as he could as he felt the exhaustion of the night and his lack of sleep catch up to him.

***

It turned out that they had only needed two tries to figure out Mina’s PIN. They sat in Yixing’s car, a few blocks down from the bank ATM. Jongdae had paid a kid a small amount to take out the money for them, not wanting to risk being caught on any surveillance cameras should the accountant decide to investigate.

He had written down for the kid the best three options that he could come up with, and when the kid returned to the car he and Yixing sat in, he excitedly had declared that the second one had worked as he handed all the money and card back to Jongdae.

“Your birthday,” Yixing said with a smile. “That’s sweet.”

Jongdae didn’t smile back, he just nodded as he counted the money, not thinking it important to mention to Yixing that the shoebox with his birthday cards to Mina had been the inspiration for that guess.

He put the money in an envelope and passed it over to Yixing along with the card, then drove them to Yixing’s favorite noodles shop for lunch and to meet up with Baekhyun to pay him.

“Your shadow is looking for you,” Yixing said holding up the phone so Jongdae could see the number that was calling.

Jongdae told him to take the call and looked over the menu, not feeling like eating anything.

“Yes, I’m with him,” Yixing said. “Yes, he’s safe. No, I can’t tell you, but we’ll be back in a couple of hours. I don’t think the elder Kim would be too happy to know about this. It’s really starting to make you look bad. No, I don’t know how the bathroom door got jammed while you were in it.  Life’s mysteries, I guess.”

When Yixing hung up, Jongdae looked at him for a moment.

“What?” Yixing asked him.

“You’re getting really good at this,” Jongdae complimented him.

“I’m just trying to keep up with you,” Yixing replied.

When Baekhyun arrived, he greeted both men with a big smile, and sat across from them, leaning forward and with his hands clasped on the table in front of him.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said to Yixing.

“Hello,” Yixing replied.

“He knows,” Jongdae explained, in case it wasn’t obvious. “He’s the only one that knows.”

“Not the only one,” Baekhyun said and Jongdae looked at him unsure. “Your cousin’s been following me for days. I finally confronted him last night about it.”

“Oh God,” Jongdae said, feeling his heartbeat race. “Please tell me you didn’t tell him what we’re doing.”

“I told him I was assisting you with a project and that if he had any further inquiries he needed to consult with my manager, which is you.”

Baekhyun beamed and Jongdae relaxed a bit.

“So, he doesn’t know exactly what we’re doing?”

“Nope.”

“He’s probably going to keep following you,” Yixing pointed out.

“It’s fine. I have nothing to hide,” Baekhyun shrugged.

“Well, I have something for you,” Jongdae said, nodding to Yixing to pass the envelope to him.

Yixing did and Baekhyun pocketed it without bothering to check the amount inside.

“Are we training today?” Baekhyun asked him.

“I only have a couple of hours, and then I have to get back.”

“A couple of hours is all it takes to learn something.”

“I want to learn something specific today, or start to learn something.”

“Okay, what’s that?”

“How to sneak in and out of places.”

Baekhyun took a breath through his teeth as he thought about this.

“That’s going to take more than a couple of hours, but I can start showing you some of the basics. Sure.”

Jongdae wasn’t hungry anyway, so he insisted that they begin then, and he left Yixing to wait for them while enjoying his favorite noodles.

***

Jongdae grabbed his dinner from the kitchen to take up to his room along with a bottle of wine to help him unwind from his nerves that had been building since he went through Mina’s room. Unfortunately he was intercepted on the staircase by Minseok.

“Move,” Jongdae told him, each time he tried to step to the side to go around him only to have his cousin step with him.

“I have some info for you. We need to talk.”

“Yeah I bet,” Jongdae said, not caring to discuss with him how he had been stalking Baekhyun.

Minseok stepped aside and instead followed Jongdae up the stairs, opening the door for him since Jongdae’s hands had been both occupied.

Jongdae set the things down on the small desk in his room, grabbing the remote to turn on his television so he could drown out Minseok.

“I got you the information from our cop. We were on that list,” Minseok said before Jongdae could turn it on.

He put the remote back down, now giving Minseok his full attention.

“How many families were on the list?”

“All of our allies.”

“So it wasn’t to bring down the whole high family system,” Jongdae reasoned.

“Unless they thought taking down the most powerful families would make the whole system crumble.”

“We’re not one of the most powerful,” Jongdae pointed out.

“We are through our ties to the Park family. The police think of us an extension of their family more so than our own family.”

“You ever think everything would be easier if we just cut ties with the Park family?”

“All the time.”

Jongdae nodded, understanding his cousin and letting out a breath. He opened the wine and poured a glass for Minseok, handing it to his cousin before tapping the bottle against his glass and taking a drink from the bottle.

“So, I have something else to tell you,” Minseok began after taking a sip of his wine.

“I already know.”

“I figured he’d tell you.”

Jongdae shrugged and sat on the chair at the desk, looking at his food, but not finding it interesting yet.

“Look,” Minseok said, leaning against the desk to talk to him. “I like the guy. I do. I found him first, remember? But I had to check him out.”

“You already had checked him out.”

“Yeah, and the stuff I found wasn’t that great if you remember.”

“So then what did you find out this time about him?”

“Nothing.”

“See?”

“No,” Minseok shook his head. “I literally mean nothing. He’s really good at hiding. I can’t imagine he really lives on the streets anymore. He’s always so well put together. Obviously, he showers and practices good hygiene. His hair is always done. He has to have a home base, but I can’t seem to find it.”

Jongdae couldn’t wait for Baekhyun to show him how to do that.

“So, you still don’t trust him?”

“It’s not in my nature to trust someone when I don’t know where they live.”

“That’s fair,” Jongdae nodded, drinking more of his wine.

“But,” Minseok said putting a finger up to make his point, “I do trust you. Whatever you’re doing with him, fine, but let me still try and figure him out more. Even if it’s just for my own peace of mind.”

“I can’t really stop you from doing that,” Jongdae shrugged. “Do what want.”

“Also, what do you need me to do next?”

“Help us determine if there are any families upset with their assassins right now. We think they weren’t trying to miss and that whoever had them do it has to be upset by how things turned out.”

“I haven’t heard anything about families upset with their assassins, but I did hear the Park family hired back on the assassin they had let go.”

“Yeah, we know about that.”

Silence passed between the cousins for a moment, both focusing on their wine, and then Jongdae thought about his mother’s words. He did need his cousin. He missed him and he missed having him on the team, but he wasn’t sure if he could trust him completely to not run off and tell on him the next time Jongdae did something he considered crazy. And with a few more training sessions with Baekhyun, that next time might be sooner than Minseok would like.

“I accept your apology,” Jongdae said to him.

“Finally,” Minseok said.

“I know you wouldn’t hesitate to do it again…”

“That’s not…” Minseok sighed, “I don’t know which way is up anymore. I just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing for this family.”

“I understand. That’s what you should do.”

“That’s what you should do too.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.”

A moment of understanding passed between them, and then they were interrupted by their phones ringing at the same time.

“We got hit,” Yixing’s voice said. “By the Son family. According to security we have one man down and another injured at one of the casinos. They stole a ton of money.”

Jongdae’s eyes widened as he looked at Minseok who was cursing up a storm at whoever was telling him the news.

“I’m on it, don’t worry,” Minseok told Jongdae as he walked out of the room cursing on the phone again.

“Minseok’s on it. Where are you?”

“I’m at my place.”

“Maybe you should stay here tonight.”

“I think I will,” Yixing said.

Jongdae hung up and dropped his head in his hand.

He knew why this had happened. They were weak, and all their enemies were going to start coming after them. Now they had lost another security person, possibly two, and their resources were dwindling further. He knew they couldn’t afford going into another war right now, and retaliating against the Son family would start one for sure.

They had to send the other families a clear signal that the Kim family was alive and strong.

Jongdae took a long drink from the wine bottle and thought that maybe killing the elder Wu’s son would send that signal loud and clear.

***

A lot of voices spoke loudly in the elder Kim’s office the following morning, but none of them had anything to say that offered a solution.

“I have a hostage,” Minseok tried to reason with them. “We can use that as leverage.”

“Leverage for what?” Their head of security said. “We’re just going to ask for the money back and hope they trade nicely?”

“It’s a start,” Minseok said.

“We’re too weak to start a war,” the elder Kim said shaking his head. “But we have to make them pay. Perhaps killing the hostage can be seen more as a sign than starting a war. One family member for another.”

“It’s too risky,” the elder advisor said. “They could potentially take it as us starting a war with them over this incident.”

“They did this because they knew we wouldn’t start a war,” Jongdae said. “This is going to keep happening to us if we don’t stand up for ourselves.”

“What is your brilliant suggestion then?” His father asked in a way that was said with no confidence in his son’s ability to have one.

Unfortunately, Jongdae couldn’t tell his father the plan he had, but he did think of one thing he could say.

“Well for starters,” he said, “We could get more security. We need to get our team back up and running.”

“I could recruit people in no time,” Minseok said and Jongdae wanted to hug him for standing with him on this. “In fact, I already have some people in mind.”

“With more security, we can beef up our protection of our properties,” Jongdae pointed out.

“That takes time,” his father said. “Time we do not have. Try to understand that concept before wasting our time with ideas that don’t help.”

Jongdae kept his mouth shut, almost too quick with a snarky remark, and grateful that he had held it back as his father fielded more ideas from his senior staff.

He turned and left the office, running up the stairs to his room and grabbing the bottle of wine he had left from the night before, only to find it completely empty. He hadn’t even remembered drinking it all.

“Hey,” Minseok’s voice said from behind him, and Jongdae turned to see Yixing and Minseok had come in together, his advisor closing the door. “I’m going to get us those new guys, regardless of what your father said in there.”

“Your idea was a good one,” Yixing agreed. “We do need to start rebuilding. And fast.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jongdae said.

“Don’t say that,” Minseok said, “Come on, you’re doing well, just give us our next orders.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jongdae snapped. “You should go back downstairs and be part of the conversation. Both of you. I need to be left alone right now.”

“Dae…” Yixing said.

“Go,” he told them both with a  firm tone, and he watched them hesitate, but then leave.

Jongdae took a deep breath and then called Baekhyun.

“Hey,” Baekhyun said with a less cheerful tone than usual. “I heard what happened to your family. I’m sorry.”

“If I give you the name of a person, could you find them for me?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“I need to know where Wu Yifan is right now.”

“The young Wu? From the Wu family?”

“Can you find him or not?”

“I can.”

“Call me with his exact location.”

Jongdae hung up and grabbed his gun, placing it in the holster in the back of his pants and putting on a hoodie before grabbing his keys and sneaking out of the house to the garage, knowing that everyone was too occupied at the moment to notice.

He got to his car with no incident, but when he reached the gate, the security guard asked him where his bodyguard was.

“Call him and ask him. I’m tired of waiting for him. Just tell him to meet me at Red.”

“I can’t let you leave without him. Your father’s orders.”

Jongdae pulled his gun out and pointed it right at the gate security, who put his hands up in defense.

“Open the damn gate,” Jongdae warned him.

The guard did as instructed, and Jongdae sped off his family’s estate grounds, knowing that his father was being alerted right at that moment.

He didn’t have a plan as he drove to the Wu family estate, thinking that would be the most likely place to find him at this time of day if Baekhyun didn’t call to tell him any differently. He knew this was a suicide mission, and he welcomed it. If Mina wouldn’t be with him when he needed, then he didn’t mind joining her knowing that he had finally made the people responsible for her death pay.

His phone rang and he ignored it as he saw Yixing’s name pop up, and then again when Minseok’s name showed on the screen, his bodyguard soon following. The names continued in succession, as each person seemed to take turns trying to contact him. When Baekhyun’s name finally lit up the screen, he took the call.

“Where is he?”

“Having breakfast with his father,” Baekhyun informed him, and he gave him the address then asked, “What do you need to know this for?”

Jongdae hung up without answering and headed straight to the address, a brunch café that unfortunately was in a busy area with a lot of people present.

It didn’t matter, he thought to himself. He wouldn’t live past the next thirty minutes anyway.

He parked his car and went straight into the café, spotting where the elder Wu sat with his son and the two bodyguards that sat at the table beside them.

He had felt his body shut off at some point, the noises around him stunned silent as he approached the table, pulled out his gun and held it straight to the young Wu’s head.

If people screamed he didn’t know, but he did see the two bodyguards dart up from their chairs and point their guns toward him.

Nothing made sense to him at that moment except for his target, and the gun in his hand, which he held steady, even if the rest of his body no longer seemed to exist on the same plane as his hand.

“Kim Jongdae,” the elder Wu said, calm, even though his eyes had widened from their original state. “I heard what happened last night, but I assure you we had nothing to do with it.”

“This isn’t about last night,” Jongdae found his voice, and it sounded as far away from him as the rest of him felt. “This is about something I should have done a long time ago. All the families think we’re weak now because we didn’t finish the job when we had the chance. Now you’ll know how it feels.”

Jongdae pushed the barrel to Yifan’s head and the bodyguards moved closer, ready to shoot on their boss’ command.

He took a good look at the younger Wu, whose eyes were wider than his father’s and who seemed to be holding his breath. He was tall, even when sitting, which made it easier for Jongdae to hold his shot steady since his arm didn’t need to be at an uncomfortable angle.

“Please,” the elder Wu said. “It was an accident. We tried to explain that to your family, but your father was insistent on retaliating with a war. Think carefully about what you’re doing. You will not get out of here alive.”

“I didn’t intend to leave here alive,” Jongdae admitted. “You have the blood of many Kims on your hands. What’s another?”

“Please,” the older man said again. “I’m giving you this chance. My guards will kill you before you have a chance to consider firing a shot. I don’t want to kill you, Jongdae. Do not do that to your father. He will not survive losing you too.”

“Dae!” Yixing’s voice rang out, and Jongdae didn’t move, even though the interruption startled him.

“Get out of here!” Jongdae shouted to Yixing. His advisor didn’t have any way of protecting himself and he was too vulnerable. Why was he here?

“No, put the gun down,” he said.

“Put it down,” he heard Minseok say.

“I’m going to kill the elder Wu’s son,” Jongdae explained, his eyes now staring hard at Yifan who swallowed hard enough for Jongdae to notice.

“Please,” the elder Wu said again. “Listen to your friends. Go home. Go back to your father. Do not do this to yourself.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Jongdae said, and he stared at the temple of Yifan’s head and moved the gun there instead. He’d make it quick. The young man had done nothing wrong and shouldn’t have to suffer.

“You don’t want to do this,” Yixing said coming closer.

“Stay back!” Jongdae warned him.

“No,” Yixing said shaking his head. “Put the gun down.”

“Stop!” Jongdae yelled at him, “You’re going to get hurt.”

“If you don’t want him to get hurt, then put the fucking gun down,” Minseok yelled at him.

“It’s over anyway,” Jongdae said, and now his emotions were starting to catch up with him. He could suddenly make out sounds again, and he could feel his heart beating as if it wanted to escape through his chest. “They’re going to kill me. Let them. Do it,” he said to the bodyguards, “Just kill me.”

“Jongdae,” the elder Wu said, “Put the gun down. No one will kill you if you put the gun down.”

“Then they’re cowards. The entire Wu family is cowards. It’s okay, I can do it myself,” Jongdae said, and he took the gun away from Yifan’s head and put it to his instead.

“Dae!” Yixing yelled out.

But before anything else could happen, a gunshot rang out and suddenly a large weight seemed to collapse onto him. He wasn’t sure what had happened, feeling as if the entire world spun around him.

“I got him,” Minseok’s voice said, and it sounded both far away and too close. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” Yixing said.

And Jongdae remembered nothing after that as his world spun out of control and he lost consciousness.


	12. (Two Moons)

Baekhyun didn’t care much for quiet days, and whenever Kyungsoo announced that it was a quiet day, he usually made sure to be extra loud on purpose.

But this quiet day was different.

They stood beside each other in the kitchen without saying a word as Kyungsoo washed dishes and Baekhyun dried them before putting them where they belonged.

When they finished their task, they sat together by the balcony, letting the cool breeze that came in do all the talking while they ate seaweed chips and drank soju.

Baekhyun watched as Kyungsoo stared out at the neighboring buildings, lost in thought and still. He did this often and Baekhyun always wanted to help him when it happened, but in the few years he had known him, he had never quite figured out how to truly comfort his friend.

He tried to not crunch too loudly on his chip, but it was a fruitless task and he apologized as Kyungsoo looked toward him, as if realizing he was there beside him for the first time that day.

Baekhyun took the opportunity to feed Kyungsoo a chip, and his friend ate it.

“My plan isn’t going well,” Kyungsoo then said. “At this rate, we’ll never figure out who tried to kill the elder Park.”

“Yeah, my guy’s not going to be much help anytime soon,” Baekhyun sighed, the news of the Kim/Wu incident having spread around the usual circles in record time. 

He hoped Jongdae wasn’t too upset with him for having called Minseok to tell him about Jongdae’s request, but after Jongdae had hung up on him, Baekhyun’s gut instinct had told him that informing Minseok was necessary. Baekhyun always trusted his gut instinct.

“Your guy made a serious mess of things,” Kyungsoo said, reaching into the bag to pull out another chip. “But things were already a mess before then, so it’s fine,” and then he switched the topic and said, “If you were trying to miss, then you wouldn’t have killed two security guards, right? I tried to think like the person who missed and you just… wouldn’t. Not from the angle the police reports say the bullets came from. Something is really not adding up.”

“I haven’t been able to talk to Jongdae about this. And now I’m not sure when I’ll talk to him again. But maybe I can try finding something out from Minseok.”

“Is he still following you everywhere?”

“Not since this happened. I think he’s busy dealing with his cousin’s mess.”

“Chanyeol has someone tailing me too,” Kyungsoo said, and he poured more soju for them. “It’s getting annoying to take long ways home. I might stay on property in the bungalows for a few days.”

“Noooo,” Baekhyun whined. “Who’s going to cook for me?”

“I’ll leave you with food to heat up. How’s that?”

“Who’s going to tell me to shut up when I’m being too loud?”

“You’ll just have to tell yourself and remind yourself to use your indoor voice.”

“What’s an indoor voice?”

Kyungsoo shoved him playfully and Baekhyun laughed loudly.

“If you really do get too lonely,” Kyungsoo said, “Just call me and I’ll come back.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll just stay out longer. Don’t worry about me Do Kyungsoo. I can take care of myself just fine.”

Kyungsoo looked at him, much in the way that Baekhyun had been staring at him earlier when he had been lost in thought. And then Kyungsoo reached his hand out to ruffle Baekhyun’s hair before turning back to staring out at nothing.


	13. (Waning Gibbous)

Chanyeol hated wearing suits. If he could live in shorts and baggy tees, he would, but unfortunately, showing up in that ensemble to a meeting with the heads of the high families was not acceptable.

“They called for this meeting solely to talk to you,” Junmyeon reminded him as he straightened Chanyeol’s tie for him.

Junmyeon naturally had his own tie perfectly in place and wore his suit effortlessly as if he had been born in it. Chanyeol may have been a little bit jealous.

“It doesn’t mean I feel confident walking in there,” Chanyeol said, already feeling beads of sweat start to form on his forehead. He had styled his hair back for the meeting, thinking it made him look more mature. “Just so you know, I’m going to kill Jongdae myself for this.”

“Just stay calm and keep it together,” his advisor told him. “You’re ready. Let’s go.”

They were driven to the same Park family hotel that Chanyeol had first taken Sehun to, and he wished he was there now for pleasure instead of business.

A large conference room had been reserved for them, and Chanyeol sat at the head of the table, greeting each head as they walked in with an advisor and a bodyguard.

Junmyeon sat behind Chanyeol in a chair against the wall along with Chanyeol’s bodyguard, and the others did the same, the table reserved only for the heads who would be having this discussion.

“Now that everyone’s here,” Chanyeol began, “I understand all of you wanted to call for this meeting because you’re concerned about what happened between the Kim family and the Wu family. Is that correct?”

“We think that we should all end our alliances with the Kim family,” the elder Choi spoke, “And by all, we also mean the Park family.”

“They’ve never been a strong family,” the elder Kang added. “They’ve been riding the coattails of the Park family long enough and putting us all in danger because of it.”

“They’re a liability at this point,” the elder Choi stated.

“Your father was kind in letting the elder Kim start his own family,” the elder Yoo said. “Too kind. The elder Kim had no business leaving the Park family in the first place. It was bad form.”

“They have no leadership anymore,” the elder Choi said. “The elder Kim has not been able to lead since the death of his daughter, and the young Kim is not mentally well. He orchestrated a suicide mission that could have serious repercussions for all the families.”

“I think you give him too much credit in saying he orchestrated it,” the elder Yoo scoffed. “The elder Wu let everyone know that the young Kim’s own advisor came running in unaware of what he had been up to.”

“We need to cut them loose,” the elder Choi said. “They should not be our burden. They offer us nothing in return.”

Chanyeol was in no position to address this issue, both due to his lack of expertise and also due to his emotional attachment to the Kim family. He wished Junmyeon would take over, or they could call his dad and let him deal with it, but instead he sat and listened to all of the arguments against continuing an alliance with the Kims.

When they seemed to have run out of the arguments they had come armed with, they all looked at Chanyeol for his response.

“Do allies normally turn their backs on their friends when they need them most?” Chanyeol asked, thinking that it certainly seemed that way. He still didn’t understand not helping the Kims with their revenge against the Wus. Now he began to think that alliances were nothing more than an agreement to not attack each other, since there seemed to be no true loyalty or friendship among any of these heads.

There was a small moment of silence and then the elder Choi answered.

“This is a complex matter. It’s not just helping a friend. It’s about making sure people do not die. If we continue to associate with the Kim family, we all risk losing people as they continue to get attacked.”

“They are far weaker than the Lee family,” the elder Yoo pointed out. “And the Lee family is struggling to survive after your family decimated their numbers. If that doesn’t tell you what a liability the Kim family is, then I don’t know what will.”

“Your father would know it was time to cut ties with them,” the elder Kang said. “You should consult with him on this matter.”

“I intend to,” Chanyeol said, not caring for the directive from this older man. “But regardless of his thoughts on the matter, I will still be the one making the decision. I’ve heard your arguments against our alliance with the Kim family. I will think on this and inform you of my decision when I have one.”

He adjourned the meeting, even amidst protests from some of the elders wishing to try and persuade him further, but in the end, he shook their hands and got out of there as fast as he could, not able to process what he was supposed to do about any of this.

***

He felt more in control of things, back in his shorts and baggy baseball tee, sitting in the den with Junmyeon and Jongin as he ate some noodles and tried to consider running away with Taemin and leaving this mess to them.

“So, what would you do?” He asked Junmyeon, who had only removed his tie and jacket from his ensemble, sitting comfortably on the couch with one leg crossed over the other as he observed him.

“Your father would probably be in agreement that it may be time to cut ties with the Kims. He’d think that if Jongdae is the future of the family, then there’s not much of a future left.”

“Even though the elder Kim is supposedly his closest friend?” Chanyeol asked.

“Supposedly is the correct word,” Junmyeon nodded. “He’s not trusted him much since he spoke to him about wanting to start his own family. I suspect part of the reason your father did not assist the Kim family against the Wu’s was to teach him a lesson.”

“I can’t imagine my dad turning his back on a friend like that,” Chanyeol said, his stomach sinking at the idea. “That’s not the type of person my father is.”

“It’s business,” Junmyeon said. “Your father is not the same person when he’s dealing with people on a business level. On a personal level, I believe your father still considers the elder Kim to be his closest friend, but on a business level, the trust isn’t there.”

Chanyeol hated that answer and looked at Jongin, who sat in an armchair eating noodles as well.

“What would you do?”

“I’d break the alliance,” he answered without hesitation. “The fact that they’re included with us in cop operations is bad news. If the cops had gone through with that plan before we caught them, they were going to start with the Kim’s, knowing they were weak enough to take them out and get all the information they needed to use against the rest of us. They’re a liability.”

“But if we break the alliance,” Chanyeol pointed out, “Couldn’t they turn on us and use that information against us anyway? Turn it over to the cops themselves for revenge.”

“Not without incriminating themselves. The sooner we cut ties and start distancing ourselves, the better.”

Chanyeol hated this. He had come into this position hoping to keep the Kim’s away, but he had never intended for it to be this extreme. It would be easier for everyone and all of his plans as well if the Kim’s weren’t tied to the Park family, and yet…

“Thank you,” he said to them both. “I will take what you’ve both said and weigh it with everything else. What you guys have said makes a lot of sense. I’m going to speak with my father about this before I make the final decision.”

“As you should,” Junmyeon nodded. “But Chanyeol, just remember, the decision does lie with you. Take some time and really think through it. Logically and emotionally. Cover your bases. And remember that your goal is to always put the family first.”

Chanyeol thanked his advisor for his advice, then finished his noodles before heading to his father’s room.

As it turned out, his father had a visitor, and Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at D.O. who stood beside his father’s bed, holding his hand and speaking with him while his father smiled and spoke with him in return. They both seemed happy to be in each other’s presence, and were it not for his small stature and distinctive look, Chanyeol almost wouldn’t have recognized the assassin with his face lit up and his eyes small with mirth.

“Aren’t you supposed to be doing something?” Chanyeol asked D.O. as he walked in.

D.O. lost the smile upon his face and let go of the elder Park’s hand. Chanyeol was more disappointed that his father had lost his smile too.

“I’ll visit you again,” D.O. said with a bow toward his father and Chanyeol kept a steady stare on him as he walked by him and out of the room.

Chanyeol closed the door behind him and stood where D.O. had, noticing his father had no smile to give him.

“You do not have to be so rude to him,” his father said, though it felt more like he was reprimanding him.

“The meeting today was a bit of an ambush,” Chanyeol said, ignoring the comment.

“I imagine it was. The heads of our allies are not happy. What did you decide?”

“I came to get your thoughts. I’m handing this family back to you soon, what do you think we should do? What would you do?”

“How is Jongdae doing?”

“I don’t know. All we’ve heard is that his family has him on lockdown. They’re not letting him leave the house and they have him on 24-hour surveillance with new bodyguards keeping an eye on him at all times.”

“It’s good that they keep an eye on him,” his father said, looking saddened by the news, “Such a terrible turn for him.”

“Don’t act like you care about him or that family when you didn’t even help them against the Wu’s.”

“I explained to you that it was a personal matter, and that they did not request our help.”

“It doesn’t matter. We could have helped without them knowing if necessary. We could have cleared a path to make it easier for them to get their revenge.”

“Didn’t you always say you didn’t like the battles and wars and bloodshed that came with this life of ours? Isn’t that why you wanted to leave? Yet, here you are upset when we didn’t put our family in that situation.”

Chanyeol felt his nerves start to unravel. He wanted to yell at his father, but he held it together to continue the conversation without raising his voice.

“Watching another family go through it and doing nothing about it is like having blood on your hands regardless. No. I don’t like any of this. Just like Jongdae never liked any of this either.  And look what happened to him. Maybe his father shouldn’t have forced him into taking over,” Chanyeol said with a pointed look at his father, and he could tell that the older man had read him loud and clear.

“You’re right,” his father said after a moment. “But I wasn’t the one that told you to come take over when I was injured. I was too busy fighting for my life, if you remember.”

“Yeah, but mom called me, and you know she did that because you never made her think that anyone else should be called in a situation like that. Even Jongin knows that he isn’t the one taking over from you.”

“If you had said no, Jongin would be the one standing here right now telling me about the meeting, and he also would have told me that he had already made a decision, and knowing Jongin, his decision would be to cut ties with the Kim family. But Jongin isn’t the one standing here, so what is it you plan to do since you took on this responsibility?”

Junmyeon’s words hit him hard at that moment, and for the first time in his life, Chanyeol realized that his father wasn’t speaking to him on a personal level. This was business.

“You never answered my question,” Chanyeol said, a bit dazed by his realization. He tried to focus his eyes back on his father. “What would you do?”

“They have two families they are on the brink of war with, they have no resources, they have a broken leader, and they have no future leadership. Cutting ties with them is the only answer.”

Chanyeol nodded and said, “Thank you for your guidance on this matter.”

“So, what do you intend to do?”

“I will make a decision in the morning, after I’ve had the time to process what everyone’s told me today about the situation.”

His father nodded at him and Chanyeol made his leave, not bothering to wish him well or kiss his hand goodbye.

***

Chanyeol had been around seven when he had begged his father to put a basketball hoop up for him. When they had moved into this estate a year later, his father had made sure a whole basketball court had been built on the premises just for him.

He took shot after shot, cursing each time he missed, and trying to follow up his shots with easy layups. He thought back to when he and Jongdae used to play, Chanyeol’s height an obvious advantage on defense.

“You should play on your knees so we’re even,” Jongdae had said to him once, but Jongdae was both short and scrappy, and he always found a way to maneuver himself around Chanyeol.

Neither of them were good at scoring, so they both tended to equally win and lose, but for them, the fun part had always been the smack talk anyway.

“Your form could use some work,” D.O.’s voice said, breaking Chanyeol out of his stress reliever, and Chanyeol turned to see the short man on the side of the court staring at him.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Chanyeol asked him, annoyed as he focused on dribbling instead.

“I’m doing it. What about you?”

“Fuck off,” Chanyeol told him.

“You didn’t look happy when you walked into your father’s room,” D.O. pointed out.

“What have I told you about talking to me about my father?” Chanyeol snapped, slamming the ball down on the court and facing D.O. who stood unfazed by the action.

“Something is clearly upsetting you. Maybe I can help.”

“You? You’re going to help me? You’re supposed to be helping me by finding the person responsible for my father’s condition.”

“Right, but I need you to help with that, so let me help you with whatever issue you have going on and then we can take care of that so you can focus on this with me.”

“You can’t help me with my issues. Everyone wants me to break off our alliance with the Kim family. I’m supposed to go and look my former best friend in the eyes and tell him that we no longer will be allies, meaning I have to go in there and tell him that we’re going to let his family crash and burn by themselves.”

“You care so much about your former best friend?”

“No,” Chanyeol said and then he put his hands on his hips and sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“Why is he your former best friend?”

“We just drifted apart. After his dad went to go start his own high family, it just seemed weird to me. Like a betrayal. Plus, we were getting older and he had plans to go to medical school so, you know, we didn’t have much in common anymore. Why am I telling you this?”

“Because I asked,” D.O. said. “So, you don’t really feel you have ties to this person anymore, yet it would upset you to tell him you don’t have ties anymore?”

“It just feels wrong.”

“Why?”

“None of your business.”

“So, if you don’t want to cut ties, then don’t.”

“But I’m not the one that’s going to be sticking around to deal with the consequences of that. And I’m supposed to put family first remember? Putting family first according to everyone would mean cutting ties to protect us from anything bad that may be about to happen to the Kim family because stupid Jongdae couldn’t keep his shit together.”

“If it’s that clear for everyone else, then why isn’t it that clear for you?”

“Because it’s not. It’s more complicated than that.”

“How so?”

“It just is. I’m not going to talk to you about it.”

“My point in asking,” D.O. explained, a bit softly, which caught Chanyeol by surprise and made him pay attention more, “was to make you work through your own thoughts as to why it isn’t clear for you. Cutting ties with the Kim family after what the younger Kim did is obvious. They’re scared that being associated with the Kim family might be bad for business. The entire high family concept is based on money. But you don’t think like a high family leader, so you’re looking at this on an emotional level.”

“I didn’t ask to be put in this position,” Chanyeol defended again.

“And I didn’t ask to be put in mine, but here we are. So, either you do the job or you leave. Otherwise you’re wasting everyone’s time.”

“Who do you think you are?” Chanyeol asked as his annoyance rose again. “You don’t come into my house and talk to me like I need your advice.”

“But you do,” D.O. said. “What did your advisor tell you to do about the situation?”

“He said,” Chanyeol paused as he thought about what Junmyeon had said. He had never really answered his question about what he would do. He had simply pointed out what he thought his father would have done. And then he gave him advice. “He said to take my time and think through it logically and emotionally. And to remember to always put the family first.”

D.O. nodded and said, “That’s good advice. That’s what you should do.”

“Again, I don’t need a second advisor.”

“No, you need a kick in the ass. Make a decision so we can get started on finding the person who put you in this position in the first place.”

Chanyeol couldn’t keep up with his own emotions, every moment going from attentive to wanting to kill D.O.

“Why do you need my help in finding this person? You’re the expert on this.”

“Because he’s your father,” D.O. said, “You should want to be the one to figure it out.”

“Judging from what I walked in on, he’s more your father than mine,” Chanyeol said with the bitter jealousy he had felt at the sight he had seen in his father’s room.

D.O. blinked a couple of times then said, “If only that were true,” and then he turned to leave, but then turned back around and looked at Chanyeol again. “The thing is, none of us get to decide what cards we’re dealt by life. We’re all just stuck in situations and trying to do our best to get through them right? What does putting the family first mean to you? It means something different for everyone. When I worked for your family, I had to put aside a lot of my own personal feelings and thoughts so I could do what your father wanted me to do. I care about your father very much. He’s always been kind to me, which is not something I can say about other people that have been in my life, but one day I realized that putting the family first meant leaving it, because I was no longer able to do what your father wanted me to do. I became useless to the family, and it was not in the family’s best interest to have me working for them. I felt like I was letting the family down, but I knew it was what I had to do. What do you feel you need to do to put the family first?”

D.O. turned to leave again, but then turned back around once again.

“Also, I don’t appreciate being followed everywhere I go. I’m going to save your security some of the trouble and just stay here in the bungalows for a few nights. Maybe that way they can work on finding a suspect instead of wasting their time following me.”

D.O. turned once again and this time didn’t turn back as he walked away.

Chanyeol stared at D.O.’s retreating form and tried to figure out what emotion he felt now. He decided that it was confusion, and he ran to pick up the ball from where it had landed and started shooting hoops again.

***

Even playtime with Taemin couldn’t calm Chanyeol’s nerves that night, and after he read him his bedtime story and tucked his son into bed, giving him a kiss on the forehead and turning his lamp off for him, he still felt like he needed to run until he was out of breath and incapable of thinking.

He went to the kitchen to make himself some tea and found that his mother had already made some, sipping from her own cup and standing by the sink as she stared out the window into the dark night.

“You can’t sleep either?” He asked her, pouring himself some of the tea.

“I hadn’t even realized what time it was,” she said with a smile as she put her hand on his shoulder before walking to the breakfast table and taking a seat. “And what is keeping you awake?”

“I have a big decision to make,” he said with a sigh, realizing that the only person he hadn’t gotten an opinion from had been his mother. He knew she didn’t involve herself in the family’s business, but he figured she’d have to have some feelings on the matter.

He sat with her at the table and took a sip then said, “Can I ask your opinion on something?”

“Of course,” she said.

“You know that the families want to cut ties with the Kim family right?”

“I have heard. How is Jongdae doing? Do you know?”

“They have him on 24-hour suicide watch and house arrest. I don’t know much more than that.”

“That poor boy,” she said shaking her head. “I tried to call his mother, but the maid said that she hasn’t left Jongdae’s bedside since the incident. I can imagine how scared she must be that she might lose him too.”

“Do you think we should cut ties with the Kim family?”

“You know I don’t know about the business and things like that.”

“It’s your opinion. You have one, and I want to hear it. Do you think we should cut ties with the Kim family?”

“I agree with whatever your father…”

“Mom,” Chanyeol said, with a stern tone that he hadn’t meant to come out. “I’m sorry,” he said at her startled expression. “I shouldn’t have used that tone with you. I just… I’ve asked everyone for their opinion because I want a well-rounded insight into the situation before I make my decision. Please be honest with me and tell me if you think we should cut ties with them or not.”

“I was devastated when I found out that Mina had died,” his mother said, and Chanyeol’s heart clenched. He drank some of his tea to try and hide his expression. “To me, she was like the daughter I never had. I couldn’t imagine a world without her light in it, and to this day, I find it hard to believe that she’s gone.”

Chanyeol regretted asking.  He also regretted swallowing all of his tea in one gulp.

“Jongdae also has that light in him,” she continued, seeming a bit far away as she got lost in her thoughts, “I know he’s different now because he couldn’t handle the loss of his sister, but as long as he’s alive, that light still lives inside of him. I worry that cutting ties with the Kim family will put him in great danger. I don’t want his mother to lose both of her children. She shouldn’t have even lost one.”

“It wouldn’t have happened if they had stayed with the Park family in the first place,” Chanyeol said, a bit upset that he had no more tea to hide behind.

“There’s no way to know that,” his mother said, focusing back on him. “Our family is in a very dangerous business. Your advisor is fatherless because of what our family does. No one in this family is safe, no matter how overprotective you are. Don’t let our status as the most powerful high family fool you into a false sense of security.”

“Didn’t you ever want to just take me and run?”

His mother nodded at him in understanding, “Yes. Of course. I wanted to take you and your father and run. There were many nights I begged him to leave it all behind, but he had a vision. And I supported that. And I trusted that he would do everything he could to protect you. And he did. Even when you left, he never stopped looking out for you.”

Chanyeol knew that too well, having been annoyed whenever he noticed he was being tailed or followed. It had made his life more difficult in a lot of ways.

“Today was the first time I ever felt like he didn’t think of me as a son. He treated me as a business associate.”

“Your father is great at what he does for a reason,” she told him. “When it’s business time, it’s business time. There is no changing that. I’ve been on the receiving end of that side of him as well. You can’t take it personally. He switches it off as easily as he turns it on. Had he sensed that what you needed at that moment was a father and not a mentor, he would have treated you like his son instead.”

“Is that how he was able to not help the Kim’s when they needed us? He just turned off his humanity?”

“He does so when he needs to. How else do you run an empire where you can order a human’s death at any moment?”

“I guess you also have to turn off your humanity to train a 12-year-old to kill and never miss.”

His mother closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them, taking another sip of her tea.

“It’s difficult to think about,” she said. “I remember when I first met D.O. His eyes were bigger than his face. His hair was cut short, but professionally done. He was tiny for his age. Like Jongdae was. I asked your father what he thought he was doing bringing him into the family. I asked him where he found him, why he was here, where were his parents. I received no answers.”

“I hate this,” Chanyeol said, feeling upset in the ways he would feel when he wanted to leave home in the first place. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t born with the ability to turn on and turn off my humanity. I would never have been able to build this successful empire. And tomorrow I have to make a decision that requires turning off my humanity, and I don’t think I can.”

“Then don’t,” his mother said. “You’re in charge. You do what you think is right for the family. I don’t think a little bit of humanity would be the worst thing to happen to us.”

Chanyeol thanked his mother for her honesty and gave her a kiss on her cheek before he retired for the evening.

He went back to his and Taemin’s room, the little boy curled up and long gone into his world of dreams that probably involved zoo visits and very tall buildings made out of colorful blocks.

Chanyeol sat on the edge of his own bed and stared at his son in the smaller bed beside his, watching him as his body moved with the soft patterns of his breath.

He knew his mother was right. No matter what he did, there was no real way to protect his son. He had thought he could keep him sheltered and away from this life he had grown up in, but no matter how far away he ran, if one of the family’s enemies wanted to find him, they could.

Or it could be as simple as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, like Mina had been.

Chanyeol hung his head in his hands, and he allowed his pent-up tears to fall for a brief moment, before shaking them away and trying to get some sleep.

***

The memories that came back to him as he entered the Kim estate were warm memories, even though he remembered being bitter that they had left his family.

His friendship with Jongdae hadn’t ended overnight, and there were times that he would go hang out with him at his house instead, playing video games or trying to outrun each other in the large backyard for no reason other than seeing who could beat the other.

The house had been a warm one back then, much like his own, but that was not the case today as Chanyeol was led through the great room to the elder Kim’s office.

“It’s very cold in here,” Junmyeon mentioned. “And very dark.”

“It didn’t used to be like this,” Chanyeol told him as they waited to be directed to enter. “Once upon a time, they even had pictures on the walls of the family. Mostly of Jongdae and Mina. Everywhere.” He wondered where they were now, the walls barren of any trace that a happy family had once lived there.

“You may go in now,” the security guard said, and Chanyeol walked through the door held open for him and Junmyeon.

In the elder Kim’s office sat another security guard, the elder Kim’s advisor, and Jongdae’s own young advisor, he supposed to continue to train him regardless. He wanted to ask Yixing how Jongdae was, but he had bigger concerns to address.

Chanyeol bowed respectfully to the elder Kim who sat behind his desk looking tired and unsure of this visit.

“Please have a seat,” he told him, and Chanyeol sat across from him, while Junmyeon sat in an empty chair beside the two advisors.

“Thank you for seeing me today,” Chanyeol told him. “I know this has been a difficult time for your family.”

“I know why you’re here,” the elder Kim said, dismissing the sentiment. “I hear that the families want to break their alliances with us. I am not surprised to hear this.”

“They’re concerned,” Chanyeol said.

“We’ve given them cause for concern. I suppose they sent you to deliver the news. What are the terms then?”

“No terms.”

“There must be terms. No one breaks an alliance without terms, otherwise they risk immediate attack from the other families.”

“I’m not breaking the alliance between our families.”

“What do you mean?” the elder Kim looked at him uncertain.

“The other families may do what they want, but as long as I’m the acting head, the Park family stands strong with the Kim family. I have a proposal for you.”

“A decision like that can only come with strings. What is your proposal then?”

“You give us a cut of your profits, and we will offer protection for you and your family for as long as it takes for you to rebuild.”

“How does that help our current situation?”

“We’ll take care of the Son family for you. You have a hostage correct?”

“Yes.”

“Turn him over to us. We’ll handle it from there.”

“And the Wu family?”

“My father made it clear to me that your revenge on the Wu family was a personal matter that we were not to interfere with unless you wanted us to. When you want us to, we will. Otherwise, they are yours alone to deal with.”

“Does your father condone this decision of yours to keep our alliance intact?”

“My father accepted my decision. We will send information over as to what account you can transfer our share of the profits to for the time being. Do you accept this proposal?”

“Do we have a choice? We are at the mercy of the Park family. We are at the mercy of any family that will help us.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have left the family in the first place,” Chanyeol let slip out, not meaning for the snarky remark to leave his thoughts.

“Your father and I always worked well in tandem. I thought if we both had families, it would make us both even more unstoppable. What I didn’t anticipate, was your father leaving us alone and not assisting us when we needed an extra hand. Because we were close, I thought I was immune to your father’s harsh ways when it came to handling business matters. I was wrong.”  The elder Kim seemed to be lost in that thought and he nodded to himself and said again, “I was wrong.”

“My father probably felt betrayed.”

“I suppose that could be true,” the elder Kim said, “Though I made every assurance to him that it would not be a betrayal. And I’ve stood by that the entire time. I really thought we were equals, your father and me. I wanted for my children the same he could provide for you because of his status and power. I thought my children deserved the same. I thought they deserved the world and I wanted to give it to them.”

The elder Kim looked so lost, but Chanyeol could not empathize. He too felt his son deserved the world, and to Chanyeol that meant providing him with safety, love and peace of mind. He could not relate to the ways of thinking of his father and the elder Kim.

“I think all a child ever really wants from their parent is their attention, and to know that they are loved,” Chanyeol stated. “I think with those things, a child will feel safe and confident enough to make the world their own if they want it.”

“You are lucky,” the elder Kim said. “Your family has a legacy. Your son is a blessing to the Parks’. And in time, you will have more blessings, I’m sure, between you and your cousin both.  Our family has no legacy. And now we are at the mercy of the Park family. You come to us with a proposal knowing that we cannot rebuild. Your proposal is merely a polite way of telling us that we now work for you. We run our businesses, but they are for your profit. I don’t even need to know the cut of the profits you are intending to take because I am quite sure they are substantial. You will leave enough for us to continue living, but you will not leave us enough to properly rebuild. It is as if we are part of your family once more, only this time with pity instead of equal standing.”

“You can look at it however you want to, but this is the only proposal I’m offering you. Take it or leave it.”

“I’ll take it of course,” the elder Kim said. “If this is the only way of protecting my family, then I will take it.”

“Good,” Chanyeol said, “Then I will have my advisor forward you the details of the bank account and make the arrangements of the transfer of the hostage. We will lend you members of our security team to help make up for the ones you’ve lost until you find your own. We will take charge of letting the other families know of our new arrangement.”

“It is incredible,” the elder Kim said, “That for all your attempts to be nothing like your father, you are very much like him. He must be very proud of you.”

“I am not like my father,” Chanyeol said, resenting the comparison now that he knew what it meant.

“But you are. You have his business acumen. It’s a shame you and my son drifted apart. He could have learned a lot from you. My daughter had a knack for it. She figured it out in no time, but Jongdae… He was always different.”

“If you knew he was always different,” Chanyeol said, needing to attack after what he had just been told, “Then you had no business forcing him to try and run your family. You reap what you sow.”

“That you do, Park Chanyeol. That you do.”

A moment of silence passed between the two men and Chanyeol cleared his throat and stood from his chair.

“Thank you for seeing me today. I’m glad we have reached an understanding.”

“Send my best wishes to your father. I am always thinking of him.”

“I will do that. Do you mind if I have a word with your young advisor?” Chanyeol asked, glancing toward Yixing.

“If he does not mind,” the elder Kim said.

Chanyeol bowed to him out of respect and left the office with Junmyeon, Yixing joining them a short moment later in the grand room.

“How can I help you?” Yixing asked him, though the question did not sound as if he truly wanted to help him.

“How is he doing?”

“As well as someone who is not allowed to use the restroom by himself would be doing,” Yixing replied.

“Why did he do it?”

“Does it matter? What’s done is done. Do not pretend to care when you made it clear at your first meeting with him that he meant nothing to you anymore.” Yixing bowed to him before Chanyeol could respond, and the young advisor walked away.

In the car ride back home, Chanyeol stared out the window at the passing scenery and tried to figure out how he felt about everything that had transpired that morning, but too many thoughts were running around his mind for him to latch onto just one.

“It’s hard,” Chanyeol finally said to Junmyeon, though he didn’t bother to turn his head to face the man. “To know what to do when there is no right thing to do.”

“I’m impressed with how you handled this entire situation,” Junmyeon said. “I know your father must be proud.”

“I expected him to talk me out of it this morning when I told him my plan, but all he said was that he supported my decision. It feels wrong to do this to the Kim family, but it felt more wrong to cut ties with them altogether.”

“Like you said, there was no right thing to do. That is why your father let you make the decision, and that’s why he supports whatever you decided. He knows your character. Do not forget that there is a reason your father thinks you’re better suited for this position than Jongin.”

“You never told me what your opinion was. When I asked you what you would do last night.”

“I would have trusted my gut instinct,” Junmyeon replied. “Whatever it was when the time came for me to make the decision. I don’t know what that would have been since I wasn’t in it.”

“That’s what I did,” Chanyeol said.

“Then it was the right decision.”

He appreciated Junmyeon saying that to him, and if Chanyeol let himself believe it for a moment, he could think that he had been given no other choice than to do what he had decided to do.

***

He did feel bad that night, taking out a lot of his frustrations and pent up anger on Sehun, treating the young man rougher than usual and not allowing any affections during their encounter.

When he collapsed onto the bed, regaining his breath, Chanyeol tried hard to will himself to go straight to sleep, needing his mind to shut off so he wasn’t bombarded with thoughts that he didn’t want to have.

But he made the mistake of glancing toward Sehun who looked a bit betrayed and had tears on his cheek.

“Shit,” Chanyeol said, closing his eyes hard and letting out a hard breath before turning his body to face Sehun. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Sehun said, but his voice sounded weak and too young for a person lying naked in bed with him.

“I fucked up. I’m so sorry,” Chanyeol said, shaking his head at himself. “I’ve had the worst day ever. I shouldn’t have seen you tonight.”

“It’s okay,” Sehun said again. “I knew it was just a matter of time before you really broke your promise.”

The young man sniffled and Chanyeol felt like the worst person on the planet.

“I warned you to not get involved with me. I gave you so many chances to have the driver take you home instead. You should have listened to me.”

“I’m fine,” he said, a bit of indignation coming through his voice, though the sniffles after ruined his tone a bit.

Chanyeol sighed and looked at him, wondering how he had ended up with this kid in his life in the first place.  He didn’t need this, not now and not with everything that had gone on today. In fact, this was the exact opposite of what he needed.

How nice would it be to have someone that he was on equal footing with emotionally, who didn’t hesitate to fight back when he was being stubborn, someone to have a nice conversation with, that he could easily talk with, and fall into intellectual arguments with only to make up later with soft kisses and meaningful touches. 

He used to have that once. 

He forced the memory away with a hard shake of the head and tried to focus back on the boy beside him. The boy that was nothing more than a stress reliever for him to use when he needed it. He reminded himself that he had chosen that type of scenario for a reason.

“How about I make it up to you with a good cuddle?”

Sehun snuggled into him, pressing himself as close to Chanyeol as possible as if to make sure he got cuddled right.

Chanyeol held him and let out a loud sigh, wishing he could erase the entire day, really the entire month from his existence. It was only fitting that he went to sleep feeling guilty and like a terrible human being, but for some reason the last thing on his mind as he drifted off was D.O. standing with him at the basketball court telling him that everyone had to do the best with the situation they were given, only instead of looking at him with the stern glare that he normally looked at him with, D.O. was smiling with his eyes as slivers, the way he had looked when he had been speaking to his father.


	14. (Waxing Crescent)

Jongdae sat in the garden of the house, reading a book he had put off reading for months now, and doing his best to lose himself in the story of a protagonist lost at sea. He related in a sense, but not enough to have the story keep his full attention, as his thoughts drifted to things that he had done and things of the past.

One of his new bodyguards shifted on the bench he sat on and cleared his throat before returning to reading the magazine he had brought with him. It broke his concentration for a moment, and Jongdae looked instead at the flowers around him, or the few that were left at this time of year.

He was banned from the gun range and was not allowed anywhere near it, so instead he had picked up reading again as a way to try and relieve stress. Along with the medication that his new psychiatrist had him on, he really did feel calmer than he had five days ago when he had attempted to get revenge on the Wu family.

The morning after, when he had first woken up from the nightmare he had created, he felt a deep sorrow at what he had done. He knew he had screwed up and made things far worse. He had ruined everything and he spent that first day crying and apologizing to everyone he encountered – everyone except for his father, who had not come to see Jongdae in his room and who made sure to avoid him when he knew Jongdae was out of his room and walking about the house.

His mother, who had been at his bedside when he had woken up, and had stayed beside him for a couple of days after that, told him that his father didn’t want to visit him in case it triggered him, and Jongdae had no idea what to make of that explanation.

But now, after so many days of being confined to his family’s estate, Jongdae just wanted to go somewhere else. Anyplace else.  Even if it was to the nearby park or the closest convenience store.

Jongdae closed his book and looked at the bodyguard.

“How do I convince you to take me to go get food?”

“We can go to the kitchen if you like,” the bodyguard said.

“No, I mean, like go get food. Like from a restaurant.”

“We can have someone pick up what you like.”

Jongdae sighed and thought about his options. He had been informed that the psychiatrist had instituted the 24-hour suicide watch of him and that she would be the one to determine when it could be lifted. Based upon how their sessions were going, he knew that might not be as soon as he liked.

However, being confined to the house had been his father’s decision, and according to his mother, his father would decide when that particular rule would be lifted.

Jongdae stood up from the bench and his bodyguard followed suit, the older man motioning to another man who sat further away. It was the other bodyguard, because his father didn’t think one could do the job of watching him alone.

They followed him as he walked back toward the house, entering it and making directly for his father’s office, which he had not been to since the day his father had dismissed his ideas for dealing with the Son family.

“I’d like to see my father,” Jongdae said to the security guard that stood outside the door, and the man went inside the office, then returned a moment later, opening the door for Jongdae to enter, his two bodyguards right behind him.

Jongdae was relieved to see Yixing in there, still being mentored by the older advisor. He gave him a nod and then bowed to his father in greeting.

“Thank you for seeing me,” he said.

“Sit down,” his father said, but it wasn’t an order, and there was no venom in his words. It sounded like how his father used to sound, but Jongdae was sure he was making that up.

He took a seat and looked at his father who seemed worn out and older in a way.

“I know you don’t want to see me,” Jongdae began…

“I have come to see you,” his father said. “When you’re taking your naps. I come to make sure you’re still alive.”

Jongdae’s forehead creased as his eyebrows furrowed, but he shook his head and focused on why he had come to visit his father.

“I know that you don’t want me to leave the house, but, I was wondering, I mean, I just really want to go eat somewhere, anywhere. I just don’t want to be in the house for a little bit. I have two bodyguards now, and they can both come, and Yixing can come, and we can even get Minseok to come. I’m just… bored. It’s okay, you can say no. I just thought I’d try asking.”

His father looked at him for a moment, then said, “You have to be back in two hours.”

Jongdae’s eyes widened and he nodded.

“We’ll be back in two hours for sure.”

“I want confirmation in two hours that you are in this home.”

“You’ll have it,” Jongdae said. “I promise you’ll have it.”

“You say you’re going to go eat,” his father said looking at him with what Jongdae thought looked like concern. “Please eat well.”

“I will,” Jongdae nodded.

He stood and thanked his father again with a bow and then left the office with Yixing and his two bodyguards in tow.

***

Minseok had suggested they go to Red, and Jongdae had been fine with that suggestion. He honestly would have been fine with any suggestion. Leaving the house had given him a chance to truly breathe for the first time since the whole ordeal had happened, and he needed to feel some sort of normalcy in his life.

He ordered a steak sandwich when they arrived and Minseok had the waiters bring them water and sodas, being kind enough to not order beer or wine since Jongdae had also been instructed to stay away from alcohol for the time being.

“Your mood seems cheerful,” Yixing observed with sarcasm toward Minseok, who did seem to be a bit short with the wait staff.

“Just trying to adjust to our new reality,” Minseok said, trying to relax his mood some. “Sorry, I’m really upset about losing my hostage to the Park family. I’m also upset about having to take orders from Jongin. Not that I have a problem with Jongin. He’s fine. Lord knows I’d rather deal with him than Chanyeol any day. But still, you tell me to go do this and that, but don’t even let me be part of the hostage negotiations with the Son family? He was my damn hostage.”

“Maybe you should get a beer for yourself,” Yixing said, patting Minseok’s shoulder in understanding.

“No, I’m fine,” Minseok said, letting out a sigh. “At least I still have a job. What have they told you about your advisor status?”

“I’m going to continue being trained by my mentor. Even if he’s just an acting head at this point, should anything happen to my mentor, the elder Kim would still need a replacement.”

“Do you have to answer to Junmyeon at all?” Minseok asked him.

“Not yet, but he wants us to have lunch soon,” Yixing said.

Jongdae listened to this conversation and already felt himself getting upset about everything again. He knew his father had no choice but to take the deal that Chanyeol had given him, but he wished there had been another way. Minseok and Yixing deserved to be Jongin and Junmyeon’s equals, not taking orders from them instead.

“I’m so sorry,” Jongdae said for the five millionth time to them.

“Don’t worry about it,” Minseok waved off. “The part that just gets me the most is that I really thought we were heading somewhere. Like you were finally starting to act like a head of a family.”

“And your suggestion had been a great one,” Yixing pointed out. “I thought we could really do it and follow your lead on it.”

“We almost had this,” Minseok said with a sigh. “Now, we’ve got nothing.”

“We have each other,” Yixing said and Minseok snorted and pushed Yixing’s shoulder, which made Yixing smile.

“I’m going to fix this,” Jongdae said.

“No, you’re going to fix yourself,” Minseok told him.

“Just worry about yourself and getting better,” Yixing said with a warm smile. “The rest of us will be fine. Maybe a bit more bitter, but fine.”

“I’m already bitter,” Minseok mumbled.

“You were born bitter,” Yixing teased him.

“I can’t sit at home and do nothing all day,” Jongdae said to them.

“Your mom told your dad that she thinks you should return to school,” Minseok told him.

“That dream is gone,” he stated, taking a sip of his water. “After everything, I couldn’t go back to that anyway. I’m not the same person I was then.”

“Maybe you can find a new dream,” Yixing said with a warm smile.

“My dad was acting so weird today, right?” Jongdae asked him instead of entertaining the thought of a new dream.

No one answered him at first, but then Yixing cleared his throat and drank some water before speaking.

“Your dad thought he was going to lose you too,” Yixing said to him. “When we brought you home, you were still out of it, you probably don’t remember. It took me and your security guard to get you upstairs and to your room, and then you passed out again so, you know, everyone went into a crazy panic calling doctors and such.”

Jongdae shook his head and apologized for the billionth time.

“It’s okay,” Yixing said waving him off. “The point is, your dad just… he just stayed there staring at you. He sat by your bed and kept saying he had lost you too. That it was all his fault. He feels he lost everything. He’s been acting very different since that day.”

“More resigned,” Minseok said. “Like he’s given up. Now he’s just going through the motions, knowing that his decisions have less meaning since they’re being made for the Park family’s benefit.”

“My mom said he wouldn’t come see me when I was awake because he thought he would trigger me,” Jongdae said softly.

“He knows he did wrong by you this past year,” Minseok told him. “All he wants is for you to be okay. If that means keeping out of your sight, then that’s what he will do. You can’t blame him considering your slight panic attack when your mom brought you snacks to eat because you hadn’t eaten all day.”

“I don’t know why that happened,” Jongdae said. He had tried to tell his mom that he was fine, but she knew he wasn’t and automatically blamed herself, leaving the tray and saying she would leave and he could eat it whenever. She had left despite his protests, but as it turned out, he had felt calmer after she had left and did manage to eat some of the snacks.

“Stress,” Yixing said. “You’ve been under a lot of it, and you probably still feel a lot of it. It’s going to take time for you to mentally heal.”

Jongdae shook his head, hating this entire situation he had created for himself. He used to think that the worst thing that could happen to him was possibly not getting into medical school, he never imagined that it could be something this horrible instead.

“I think helping the situation out and trying to fix some of the damage I’ve done is what would help me mentally heal,” he stated. “I’m going to help somehow.”

“Help with what?” Minseok asked. “This isn’t something that can be fixed.”

Jongdae looked at Yixing.

“Didn’t you tell me that Chanyeol had said this arrangement was only until we rebuilt ourselves?”

“I did, but it was clear even then that rebuilding was not something we would be doing anytime soon.”

“We can’t rebuild without funds,” Minseok said. “We can’t rebuild without leverage. And now that we’ve been essentially demoted, leverage is the last thing we have. Chanyeol knew we wouldn’t be able to rebuild with the deal he offered us. How he pulled that idea out of his ass is beyond me.”

“He’s smart,” Jongdae said. “He always has been. He just never cared to do anything with it.  But regardless, if we were to rebuild, we’d get our family back right?”

“Dae,” Yixing said very carefully. “The last time you went down this slippery slope… I mean, look at your current situation.”

“This isn’t like that,” Jongdae told him, hoping he understood. “I’m a lot more rational now. It’s like Baekhyun said, you have to make mistakes to learn, and I don’t think anyone could have made a bigger mistake than I did. Believe me, I learned from it.”

“But you’re not ready to do anything even if you wanted to,” Minseok told him. “You have to fix your head, and until you do that, you’re not rebuilding anything.”

“He’s right,” Yixing said. “Let’s table this discussion for when you’re able to take a piss on your own, alright?”

Jongdae relented, knowing he had no leg to stand on with his current situation, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t start to figure things out on his own with all the free time he suddenly had. He made sure to eat half of his sandwich and some of his side salad, an improvement that brought about relieved smiles from his lunch buddies.

They returned back home with five minutes to spare.

***

Always emotionally exhausted after a therapy session, Jongdae had taken a nap, only to be awakened by his phone buzzing.

He checked the name and when the familiar number showed instead, he realized it was Baekhyun.

“Hi,” he said when he picked up, keeping his voice low and getting up from his bed, trying to figure out the best place to take the call.

“Hey,” came Baekhyun’s voice, a hint of cheerfulness behind the even tone he had used.

“Give me one second,” Jongdae said, leaving his room, knowing his two shadows would be right behind him.

He decided that he’d get the best privacy in the garden, and he motioned for the bodyguards to hover around while he took the call in the gazebo – in their plain sight, but far enough away to hopefully not be overheard.

“Okay, sorry about that,” Jongdae said. “I had to find a place where I could talk to you while being watched but not heard.”

“Yeah, I heard you were being watched like a hawk,” Baekhyun said. “I’m really sorry about what’s happened.”

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have used you like that or put you in that position.”

“No worries. It’s not the first time I would’ve been an accomplice to murder. I just hope you’re not too upset with me for giving Minseok the heads up.”

“I’m not upset at all,” Jongdae said, having been grateful to have found that out from his cousin. “Thank you for doing that. I would probably be dead right now if you hadn’t.”

“Yeah, that was my fear,” Baekhyun said. “Listen, I figured I’m out of a job now with all this going down the way it did, but I feel bad that I didn’t really get to train you more before this all happened. I know I can’t see you or anything now, so I thought of a way I could still help out if you want.”

“How?” Jongdae said, a hint of excitement in his chest at this idea.

“Well, you guys still haven’t found the person responsible for who tried to kill your father right?”

“No, we kept coming up empty with all our leads.”

“I can help. I’m good at finding people, remember? What do you guys know or what have you uncovered already?”

Jongdae hesitated for a moment, thinking back to when Baekhyun had first wormed his way into their inner circle and all the warnings that Minseok had given him. Baekhyun had obviously had a reason for doing that, and now Jongdae wondered if this was it. Had he been connected to the assassination attempt this whole time? Maybe he thought by getting close he could see how safe he or whoever had done it was?

“Jongdae?” Baekhyun said, when he still hadn’t responded.

“I… I’m not at liberty to share a lot of that information with people who aren’t in the family.”

“I get it, but maybe that’s why you guys haven’t gotten far in your investigation. You probably need an outsider perspective.”

“Who are you working for?” Jongdae asked him.

“You?”

“Who are you really working for?”

“Myself?”

“You wanted to get into our circle for a reason. I’m not giving you this information without knowing what you’re up to.”

“What I’m up to is trying to help you figure this out since we can’t continue your training.”

“I’ve already made too many mistakes that have hurt my family. I’m sorry but I can’t trust you like that.”

“I understand,” Baekhyun said. “Mistakes are okay. That’s how you learn. And you sound like you’ve learned a lot.”

“Mistakes aren’t okay if it destroys your family.”

“Sometimes things have to be destroyed so they can be rebuilt stronger and better,” Baekhyun pointed out.

“I hope that’s true,” Jongdae said. “I should go.”

“Wait,” Baekhyun said. “Please let me do this for you. It’s fine that you don’t trust me. I can’t explain to you why I want to help you with this, just know that I can.”

“I’m not mentally capable of making a decision like that right now, but if you want, I can discuss this with Minseok and see what he thinks. If he’s good with you knowing, then he’ll give you all the details. That’s the most I can do about this.”

“Thank you,” Baekhyun said. “I promise, if he okays it, that I will find this person for you.”

Jongdae didn’t know how to acknowledge a promise from someone like Baekhyun, so he simply said he had to go and hung up.

***

“Yeah, that’s not suspicious at all,” Minseok said later that day when he had come to visit Jongdae in his office. Jongdae had been looking through the bank accounts again, trying to find evidence that the accountant had noticed the withdraws from Mina’s accounts.

“That’s why I’m bringing it up to you,” Jongdae pointed out.  “Do you think this is why he wanted in?”

“Could be,” Minseok said pacing. “He doesn’t have any ties to any families, nor does it appear he’s ever had any. All the illegal stuff he’s done has either been on his own or for small time gangs. But he has no affiliation to any of those, nor any loyalty since he bounced around. He doesn’t have any family. I have no idea where he sleeps at night. Sometimes I’m not even sure he really exists.”

“He’d make a great candidate for the Academy,” Jongdae mused.

“He would,” Minseok agreed.

“Maybe he works for the Academy,” Jongdae said, “And maybe he’s been sent to investigate since the Academy was framed for this.”

Minseok laughed at the suggestion and said, “That’s cute.”

“Whatever, I like that theory.”

“Because it’s a cute theory. No one that works for the Academy is seen, so the fact that we’ve seen Baekhyun and interacted with him means he doesn’t work for the Academy.”

“That’s not true though,” Jongdae pointed out. “Remember what Luhan told us? The sorcerers you have to interact with technically work for the Academy. In order for the Academy to operate, they need the help of those that can be seen.”

“That’s…” Minseok paused and then smiled at Jongdae, “…a good point. However, you can’t convince me that the Academy would hire Baekhyun. He’s too visible. Sorcerers live in the shadows as well in their own way.”

“Baekhyun lives so far in the shadows that you can’t even find where he sleeps. That’s even more stealth than a sorcerer.”

“But he just…” Minseok paused and put his hands on his hips, seeming to think to himself, “I can’t believe I’m going to entertain this thought for even a second, but has he ever talked about the Academy with you?”

“I brought it up to him once. I asked him how you hire an Academy assassin, and he said the usual answer, that you don’t. But then he said he could train me to be like one because he’s had Academy-level training.”

“He flat out said that?”

“Well, yes, but he said he had learned from other non-Academy assassins with Academy-level training, or something like that.”

“Nice play on words, Baekhyun,” Minseok remarked, looking as if he was considering a number of things.

“You look like my theory isn’t just cute anymore,” Jongdae observed.

“I’m trying to think through this,” Minseok said. “The Academy doesn’t leave behind evidence. The fact that we’re even considering this sort of nullifies the idea of him being attached.”

“Again, the sorcerers. It’s impossible to not truly leave behind evidence. The fact that they were framed by bullets made to look like ones only they use shows they leave behind evidence. They have to, otherwise no one would know that they existed at all, and that would be pointless for their endeavors.”

“Let’s just say for a split second…” Minseok paused as the door opened and the security guard peeked his head in to make sure everything was still fine, then closed the door back up. As long as someone else was with him, security could stay outside of the room instead of in it if Jongdae requested, but he knew that it didn’t mean he wouldn’t get periodic checkups. “Let’s just say for a split second,” Minseok restarted, “that Baekhyun was working for the Academy. If that’s the case, then he’s not really a threat to us.  He’s clearly not an assassin, since he’s visible, so it could just be what you said, that he’s trying to find out what we know to report back to them. In which case, we know what we’re working with and we can probably make a deal. We give him our knowledge, he finds us our culprit. We know it’s not the Academy who did this, so he wouldn’t be ratting out his own if he does work for them. At least we can rely on that, if nothing else, for an assurance that he’ll give us the information.”

“And you trust him to agree to the deal and not just take our information and disappear never to be heard from again?” Jongdae said.

Minseok reached across Jongdae’s desk and grabbed a pen and his notebook. He drew the circle and line that Luhan had showed them and ripped the piece of paper out of the notebook, then folded it in half.

“There’s only one way to find out,” he said, pocketing the paper. “I’m willing to take the risk.”

Jongdae nodded and Minseok opened the door and told the security guard he could come back in before he left.

***

In the world of unexpected visitors, Yoona was the last person Jongdae thought would come to see him. So much so that he blinked several times at Yixing, waiting for him to clarify who it was that he had told him was waiting for him downstairs.

He had been watching TV in his bed while playing on his phone and was in no state to receive a visitor, much less his ex-girlfriend, but he got up and ran his hand through his hair, then realized it didn’t matter how he looked. If she was there to visit him, it was because she knew what had happened, so he figured there was no point to appearances.

He found her waiting in the living room. She stood by the window staring out while holding a clutch in her hands in front of her. Even without seeing her face, she looked beautiful to him in her comfortable ensemble of jeans and a fitted sweater. Now he did wish he had at least thrown on real clothes instead of coming down in his sweats and the long-sleeved T-shirt he had slept in.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you,” he said unsure of what else to say, he felt inadequate in her presence, and it made him a little nervous.

She turned to face him, her eyes full of worry as she took him in, but then she offered him a small smile.

“I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“So, you heard about what happened?” He asked, almost ashamed by it. He could only imagine what she thought of him now. Why was she here?

“I did. It sounded really scary.”

She bit her lip and took a few steps closer, not daring to try moving farther beyond that, perhaps based on their last encounter.

“I’m sorry,” she then said. “I’m sorry for everything you’re going through.”

“It’s not your fault,” he said, sure his cheeks were warming up from the embarrassment of the situation. He passed his hand through his hair again and said, “I should get back upstairs.”

“Dae,” she said stepping forward again, “I miss you.”

“No, you don’t,” he said softly, almost wishing he could believe it. It’d be nice to believe it. “You miss who I was. I’m not that person anymore. Besides, didn’t you move on?”

“But we used to be more than that. We used to be friends too, remember?  I miss that the most.”

“I don’t think we can be friends again,” he said, and then he frowned. “But it’s nice to know that you thought of me more as a friend than a boyfriend.”

“I didn’t say that,” she said. “Don’t twist things. I miss you, our relationship, our friendship, our soft moments together, our loud moments together. I miss all of that. I miss all of you.”

“You miss something that no longer exists.”

“I don’t believe that. And maybe I’m fooling myself. Maybe because I never got real closure, or maybe because I had to fight so hard to just be with you in the first place. Whatever it is, I can’t just believe that the man I knew no longer exists in you.”

“You didn’t have to fight that hard to be with me,” Jongdae said, not sure why she would think that. He had thought she was beautiful at first sight.

“Oh, yes I did,” Yoona said with a look as if she suddenly remembered how difficult things had been. “You were always surrounded by so many people that it was hard to talk to you in the first place. Mr. Center-of-Attention. You had so many friends, and a lot of them were really pretty girls. It was intimidating.”

“You were older than me,” Jongdae said, “I thought you were beautiful when I saw you, but I didn’t think I had a chance.”

“You knew you had a chance,” she said with a knowing smile. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have sat next to me in the cafeteria and asked what I was reading.”

“The ultimate college pick up line,” Jongdae said crossing his arms. “I bet you hadn’t heard that one before.”

“I had heard it before many times, but never with the smile that you had when you said it. I was yours from that moment.”

“See? You didn’t have to fight hard.”

She gave a sarcastic half laugh and shook her head.

“Do you know how hard it was to be with you?” She asked him. “Once we made things official?”

He furrowed his brows. Their relationship had always been an easy one. They communicated well and spent most of their time laughing when they weren’t studying or sleeping.

“I didn’t know you felt that way,” he said.

“I didn’t want you to know,” she said. “You and your sister had a crazy bond, and I knew if I ever said anything to you, that you would dump me without hesitation.”

Jongdae felt confused all of a sudden.

“What does my sister have to do with this?”

“Do you know how impossible she made my life for dating you?”

“What do you mean?” He asked, “You guys were always hanging out together. You were always going on shopping dates and brunch dates. It was like you were dating her instead of me half the time.”

“It was her way of keeping an eye on me,” Yoona said. “She never thought I was good enough for you, but it took me awhile to realize that it wasn’t personal. She was never going to think that anyone was good enough for you.”

“I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”

“Do you know what she told me one time? She told me that she hoped I wasn’t stupid enough to think that I would one day marry a doctor.”

Jongdae looked even more confused by this, not sure what she meant.

“I don’t understand,” was all he could manage to say.

“She lectured me,” Yoona said, visibly frustrated by the memory, “About how she couldn’t wait for you to get over this doctor phase of yours so you could just hurry up and run the family with her. She told me that if our relationship went on long enough, that I wouldn’t be marrying a doctor, I’d be marrying the head of a high family, and that she didn’t think I was cut out for that.  Mina never intended to run your family alone. She was just waiting for you to realize that, and I think part of her blamed me for taking your attention away from her ultimate goal.”

Jongdae blinked, not able to formulate words. He shook his head because Yoona had to be making all this up.

“It was so hard to be with you,” Yoona reiterated, “But I loved you, so I put up with it. And now, even now, she won’t let me be with you. It’s amazing. It’s like she took you with her so no one could have you, but it doesn’t change how I feel. I still love you, Kim Jongdae.” Yoona’s voice broke and she turned her head away for a moment.

He stood still, his heart pounding and his throat dry while his head felt as if it was underwater.

He had no memories that supported anything that Yoona said. He had only vivid memories of all of them laughing together, Yoona and Mina talking about stuff that interested only them as if they had been best friends their whole life.

“Why would you make up this lie?” He said, finding his voice.

She looked back at him and shook her head, then said, “It isn’t a lie.”

“Get out,” he told her.  “And don’t ever come back here again.”

“Dae…”

“Get out!”

Yoona covered her mouth, looking betrayed and hurt, and she rushed past him to leave.

He stood there in the living room for a moment, his body vibrating with anxiousness, and he felt a hand on his back, rubbing it in smooth circles.

“Let’s get you back up to your room,” Yixing said, gently guiding him to turn around.

“Why would she say that?” Jongdae asked him as he took slow steps, his mind still reeling. “Why would she lie about that?”

“I’m not sure she would,” Yixing said, and Jongdae stopped and looked at him.

“You believe her?”

“You need to go upstairs and rest.”

“No, tell me. Be honest. Do you believe her?”

Yixing hesitated for a moment and looked Jongdae in the eyes.

“I don’t have to believe her,” Yixing said. “I saw it happen.”

“What do you mean you saw it happen?”

“I was an outsider, remember? I didn’t know what was going on when you brought me into this world. I knew you and Yoona as a couple before I ever met your sister. The first time I finally saw them interact, it was like watching a mother judge every aspect of her son’s girlfriend without having to say a single word. I felt bad for Yoona, but she handled it well. She always handled it well, every time it happened. It’s not a bad thing, Dae. Yoona loved you enough to put up with it, and Mina… no one was more overprotective of you than she was. You can’t twist two people loving you deeply in completely different ways into a bad thing. It was what it was.”

It was what it was? Jongdae had no idea what any of this was.

“I need a drink,” he said, passing his hand through his hair.

“You can’t have one,” Yixing said, “But we can go to the kitchen and get you some tea.”

“I need to get out of here,” Jongdae said, his breathing becoming ragged, and he pushed past Yixing to run out the front door, knowing that he’d be chased by Yixing and the security guards.

He made it only as far as the grass that framed the rotunda before he dropped to his knees, trying to find fresh air to breathe in. It was colder than it had been, so the air was sharp as he took it in, stabbing his lungs with each breath.

“I got you,” Yixing said, rubbing his back. “Breathe. Breathe.”

He tried to. Images of Yoona and Mina talking to each other flashed into his mind, and he tried to find evidence of anything being wrong, but all he saw was happiness and light. He tried to breathe again.


	15. (Two Moons)

Kyungsoo tried to start compiling information and putting pieces together, sitting at their small dining table for two as Baekhyun rattled off about his meeting with Minseok.

“I told him I was flattered after he slipped me that paper. Like I really was. I must come off really cool for him to think that I’m Academy material.”

Kyungsoo looked back over the scans of the police report, then read through the notes he had taken while Baekhyun had told him what Minseok had revealed during their meeting.

“He wasn’t technically wrong,” Kyungsoo pointed out. “But the ‘cool’ part is way off base. No one thinks you’re cool.”

“He totally thinks I’m cool,” Baekhyun said with a laugh. “And he is technically wrong. I technically only do things for the herbal shop guy, they just happen to be Academy-related things. I can’t believe I’m still paying for trying to rob him. Note to self, don’t ever try and rob an herbal medicine store. Lesson learned.”

“You’re lucky he let you out of there alive with his connections.”

“He even fed me and let me sleep on his couch. It’s my ‘cool’ factor.”

Kyungsoo had heard the story many times before. He knew it was because the shopkeeper had felt terrible for the homeless teenage boy who had just been trying to take enough money for food and a motel room since the temperature had dropped that night.

“So, it’s obvious that the Kim side got a little obsessed with the Academy part of the setup,” Kyungsoo said pointing to one of the details in his notebook about their assassin showing them what was involved with summoning the Academy. “I wonder why they kept getting stuck on that when it obviously wasn’t them.”

“It’s because all of their leads kept coming up empty,” Baekhyun nodded. “So Jongdae liked the idea enough to keep asking about it, and Minseok said that Luhan explained to them that only high families know how to summon the Academy, so they kept going in a circle because none of the high families were checking out, and Luhan said that the cops thought they knew how to do it, but they didn’t really, which brings me back to Minseok thinking I’m cool.”

“You’re not cool.”

“No, seriously, all the times the cops have picked me up and never once did they think I could be working for the Academy, but a month with the Kim’s and suddenly they think I’m like this awesome ninja-status cool person.”

“Now you think you’re a ninja,” Kyungsoo said smirking as he looked over the Park family notes he had collected, trying to find any connection at all between the two families. “If you were a ninja, you wouldn’t have gotten caught by the herbal shopkeeper, and I wouldn’t be in the predicament of having you as a roommate.”

Baekhyun gave an overdramatic sigh. “I’m forever going to be paying for that unsuccessful petty theft attempt,” he said.

“No, I’m forever going to be paying for it,” Kyungsoo said.

“No one told you to think I was cool enough to have as a roommate after I tried to recruit you for the Academy.”

“I didn’t think you were cool,” Kyungsoo said looking over the police reports again. Why wasn’t anything adding up? His frustration at the moment was only being tempered by Baekhyun’s ridiculousness. “I felt bad for you since the Academy didn’t think you were ninja-like and cool enough to be recruited like I was. That’s the only reason I told you, you could stay. I don’t know why you’re still here.”

“Because I’m cool. Like Minseok thinks I am. He thinks I’m so cool that even after I told him I couldn’t confirm or deny any involvement with the Academy, he still gave me all the info. He also threatened me if I double-crossed his family, but that’s just his style.”

“Why does nothing here add up?” Kyungsoo said, slamming his hand down on the table and letting out a frustrated breath.

“Oh oh,” Baekhyun said, and he started pulling the notes and evidence toward him to finally help. “Wow, the Parks really didn’t have much else to go on either.”

“No one does.”

“Minseok said that they tried to find out if any high families were upset with their assassins at the moment, but none are. Actually, all the high families seem to be business as usual except the Sons who randomly decided to ambush the Kims.”

“Yeah, but the Sons saw an opportunity and took advantage of it,” Kyungsoo pointed out. “My mentor investigated them and confirmed that it wasn’t them. And I just don’t understand these shots that were taken at all. If you’re trying to kill someone, then you aim toward the person. If you’re trying to miss them, then you aim toward a safe space where no one gets hurt. It’s like both of those things happened at the same time.”

“Whoever did this didn’t know what they were doing,” Baekhyun agreed, and he pointed to one of the police reports. “And also, when they missed the elder Kim, it seems like the bullets had actually been intended to hit his bodyguard instead. I mean if you look at the angle it says in here.”

“But that bodyguard wasn’t hit like that. And then how did the other bodyguard get taken down?  It really seems like this assassin had no clue how to be an assassin.”

Kyungsoo paused and furrowed his brows, looking at the police report again and then looking at Baekhyun with wide eyes.

“What?” Baekhyun asked, giving him a wide-eyed look back.

“You’re right. Whoever did this didn’t know what they were doing.”

“I mean obviously, those bullets went everywhere.”

Kyungsoo pointed to the notebook where he had written down what Baekhyun had told him from the Kim perspective and he tapped a line and read it out loud, “Told by their assassin that the cops thought they knew how to do it, but didn’t really.”

This time Baekhyun’s eyes showed understanding and Kyungsoo nodded, glad he understood what he was thinking.

“This police report,” Kyungsoo said picking it up, “doesn’t make sense. The way they were shot at doesn’t make sense if you’re assuming this was done by an assassin. But it makes total sense if it’s someone trained to think on their feet and adapt quickly, as opposed to an assassin, who’s trained to take their time and be patient. The bullets went everywhere because this was done by a cop who was trying to adapt to the chaos of what was happening once people started reacting to the shots being fired.”

“The police report doesn’t make sense because it’s not a true account of what happened,” Baekhyun said understanding. “They falsified it. So, why would the cops want to take them out and not make it part of a bigger operation to bring down the whole family?”

“I don’t think they were trying to take them out,” Kyungsoo said, remembering how his mentor had caught him up on the recent police crackdowns on the Park family and the latest incident that Jongin had uncovered. “I think it was a distraction.”

“A distraction from what?”

“Jongin uncovered a plan where the cops were going to try and take down the most powerful high families through some monetary angle. I think the police wanted the high families distracted so they could go through with it. But now I’m wondering if it was another distraction and they’re preparing something even bigger. Either way, I have to warn Chanyeol.”

“And I should warn Jongdae.”

“They’re not a real family anymore,” Kyungsoo reminded him. “They won’t be able to do much. If anything, the Parks will give them orders on what to do to help out the situation.”

“I have to give info back to them in exchange for them giving me all this information. Besides, Jongdae’s smart. I bet he can help.”

“I’m starting to think you like Jongdae more than me,” Kyungsoo said, standing up and grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair.

“He thinks I’m cool.”

“He can keep you then. Pack up and move into his place so I can live in peace again.”

“I would, but you would miss me too much,” Baekhyun said standing up as well and taking his phone out to call Jongdae. “Let me know if you find out anything else that I’d need to pass along.”

Kyungsoo nodded and told Baekhyun to be careful, before leaving and heading to the Park estate.


End file.
